Looking Past the Lies
by AnastasiaMarieS
Summary: Deacon uses lies to keep everyone at a distance, but Nora doesn't seem to mind. She just accepts him. The only problem is that she wants more from him than he can give her and it's breaking his heart. Can Nora find a way to help him let go of his past so that he can enjoy his future... with her?
1. Chapter 1

The first time she had touched him had been by accident, just an innocent graze of her arm on his. Nothing to write home about, right? Only it was pure electric and he knew she had felt it, too, by the way she had gone still. He didn't look at her and she didn't look at him, but his heart was in his throat and he was sure she could hear it pounding.

Nora hadn't meant to touch him, it was an accident, a slip. It only lasted a moment, but it felt as if his touch had been burned into her skin, fire spreading out from the point of contact. She froze, not looking at him. Had he felt it, too? The pounding of her heart was all she could hear. If that one small touch had that effect on her, what would it be like if he held her in his arms? She took a deep breath and walked away trying to act like nothing had happened. She shook her head, trying not to imagine.

The next time Deacon touched her was out of necessity. They had been ambushed by Super Mutants coming back from an op and she had taken a nasty hit to the side from a board that had been turned into a weapon by hammering large, rusty nails through it. She had gone flying through the air like a rag doll, landing in heap several yards away. Deacon saw red. He lost it, decimating every single mutant in a haze of fury. When nothing was left alive he turned his gaze to his partner. She still hadn't moved.

He ran to her, shoving two fingers under her jaw searching for a pulse. He found what he was looking for after a few frantic moments. They weren't safe here, so he scooped her up into his arms and took off. A small cry of pain escaped from her lips, which simultaneously reassured him and worried him. At least she was alive. He found a building that appeared uninhabited, rushing her inside. Someone had obviously stayed here at some point, because there was a dirty mattress pushed into the corner. Whoever had drug it in here hadn't been there in quite some time, as there was a thick layer of undisturbed dust covering the room.

Deacon placed Nora carefully on the mattress, digging through her bag for water, a towel and Stimpaks. He also found some Med-X and pulled that out, too. He turned back to his patient. Her eyes were squeezed shut and he could hear her breathing in and out, slow and controlled. He hesitated a moment too long and she pried opened one eye, trying to see what the holdup was. He took a deep breath and got to work.

Both her flannel and the t-shirt under it were in ribbons and soaked with blood. He could clearly see the blood still seeping from her torn flesh. Trying not to think about what he was doing, he pulled out the knife he kept in a sheath around his ankle and cut away her shirts, throwing them across the room. She wasn't wearing a bra, they were a rare commodity in the Wastelands, so her full, perky breasts were right there in plain view. Deacon swallowed, trying not to get distracted by her hard, erect nipples. He shook his head and turned his gaze back to her injury.

"How bad is it?" He voice was soft, but strong.

"Barely a scratch," he replied flippantly as he folded the towel under her side, below the injury and opened the can of water. "This is probably going to sting a little." He tipped the can, pouring clean water over her ravaged flesh. Nora clutched the mattress, knuckles going white as she forced herself to breath slowly.

"Just a scratch. Hmph. You're usually a better liar," she choked out, looking down her nose at him.

"Just hold still." He smiled a little, taking it as a good sign that she was already talking her normal shit.

Once he had the wound cleaned he injected it with a Stimpak, waited a few minutes and then used one more. He could see the skin starting to knit back together before his eyes, but he knew she was going to be sporting a huge bruise and probably a new scar. "How's the pain? I have some Med-X. If you want to just pass out for bit I can keep watch."

Nora considered his offer. She was in some serious pain and it would be nice to be out of it while the Stimpaks did their work. Part of her felt like it was weak to take the drug, but it really hurt and it would be less of a blow to her pride than the tears that had been threatening. Crying was one thing she absolutely wasn't about to do.

"Yes. Okay. Med-X and a shirt if you can find one. I know the view's nice, but I'm a little chilly." Nora meant the comment as a joke, but she noticed Deacon go still. To her amazement, a slight blush crept up his throat and into his cheeks. Nora would have felt bad if it wasn't the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"Uh, yeah… Of course." Deacon stuttered as he turned to rifle through their bag, pulling out a plain white tee. He tossed it to her and she sat up, inhaling sharply as pain shot through her side. She tried to get the shirt on by herself, but was failing miserably when she felt his hands on her pulling the shirt to rights. As he pulled the shirt down after easing her arm though the sleeve the back of his fingers accidentally grazed the soft flesh of the side of her breast.

Nora shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. For a moment the pain receded and all she could think about was the warmth of his hand on her chilled flesh. She wanted him to put his hands on her, but she could tell that he was freaked. His breath was coming quickly and she could see his hand trembling in the air between them. She didn't know what was wrong, but she did know she didn't want be the source of his pain. She took a deep breath and smiled, shoving down her desire she pointed to the Med-X.

"Time for my meds, nurse." She watched as Deacon's posture changed, visibly taking on the role that she had just offered him as an escape.

"Nurse? I don't even get to be a doctor?" He arched an eyebrow over his sunglasses while he uncapped the syringe and flicked the needle to remove any air bubbles. "Now hold still, it's my first day. Wouldn't want my hand to slip." The small smirk on his face as he put the needle to her skin made her heart race. He pressed the needle into her and slowly pressed the plunger. The drug felt like fire in her veins, burning its way through her body. And then there was no more pain, just Deacon and that smirk.

Deacon could see the moment the drug took hold of her. Her eyes went dreamy and he reached forward, helping to ease her down onto her uninjured side. He was barely holding it together at this point. He was grateful that she had offered him an out, because he was so confused. He hadn't thought he would ever even think about touching another woman after Barbara. _Barbara… I'm so sorry, my love._

Nora didn't know about his past, he had done nothing but lie to her, telling one ridiculous story after another. She never believed anything he said, but she also didn't get mad at him or push him away, like everyone else did. She just accepted him, letting him hide behind his disguises and lies with no judgements. It was a strange feeling, being accepted. He couldn't deny that it felt nice. Almost as nice as the soft skin of her… Deacon swallowed, trying not to remember. Her pale skin reminded him of a picture he had seen in an old book of a field covered in fresh, untouched snow. He remembered the feeling the picture had roused in him, how he had longed to run through the field until he had disturbed every inch of snow. He was filled with that feeling again now. He wanted to run his hands over every inch of her until not one part of her was a stranger to his touch. He knew she wanted it, too. Unfortunately, guilt came up hard on the heels of his lustful yearnings, making him feel ashamed. How could he ever want another woman? Not to mention that he didn't deserve it, not with any woman, much less with someone like Nora.

"Deacon," he turned toward his partner, only now realizing in surprise that she was watching him. "Don't be upset with me." Her voice sounded child-like, small and worried. It broke his heart.

"Never." He smiled, trying to reassure her. It wasn't her fault that he was broken. He had only himself to blame for that.

"You can say no, but…" she swallowed loudly, before continuing, "would you hold my hand please? Just for a little bit?"

Deacon's heart was racing. It was so unlike his strong, fearless partner to ask for anything. She always took care of others, asking for nothing in return. She was self-sufficient to a fault. How could he deny her such a small request?

"Of course." He reached out, taking her surprisingly small hand in his much larger one. He always forgot how small she really was because of how big her personality was. "Try to sleep now… dear."

The endearment just slipped out. He sat there as she drifted off, holding her calloused hand in his, fretting about what he was going to do. He couldn't leave his only friend, but he couldn't give her what she wanted either. He held her hand the entire night, only sliding his away when he felt her beginning to wake.


	2. Chapter 2

Eventually Deacon told Nora about his wife, their life together and her death. It broke her heart and she understood why he had made it clear that they were friends, best friends, but nothing more. It would be easier if she could be mad at him, but she wasn't. She understood all too well. The only difference between them was that she didn't hold herself responsible for what had happened to her husband, while Deacon couldn't let go of his guilt.

Nora lived for the rare moments when his hand would brush against hers, cherishing every smile, every silly lie. He told so many, most of them for no reason at all, that she was desensitized to it. When other people rolled their eyes or walked away from him she just laughed and added an even more implausible detail to his farfetched tails. She knew he needed his lies and as long as he was honest with her when it really mattered, he could keep them.

Nora knew that there were other people that were interested in her. She longed to be touched, held and she knew she could find that if she was willing to let go of Deacon. She wasn't though. She knew he wanted her and she hoped that maybe, over time, she could convince him. She just had to be patient. So she started a campaign to get her man.

It started slowly at first. She would touch him, playing it off as an accident. She was pretty sure he knew she was full of shit, takes one to know one and all of that, but he never said anything. Eventually he quit freezing or jumping away at her touch. She then graduated to measuring her success in how long she could touch him without him moving away or acting uncomfortable. It took time. Months went by, but now she could casually touch him without sending him into a panic.

Deacon knew what that crafty woman was up to. He knew she was slowly desensitizing him to her touch. At first he had thought she was crazy, but he couldn't deny that it was working. He no longer panicked when her arm brushed his. Yes, his heart would still race, but that was a different matter altogether. He worried that Nora was getting her hopes up, though. The idea of actually being intimate with her still filled him with equal parts longing and terror.

It wasn't long before the next stage in Nora's plan was put into motion. They had stopped for the night in yet another half collapsed building. They had gone about their business in companionable silence, eating dinner side by side in front of their small fire. It wasn't until it was time to go to sleep that Deacon realized Nora had zipped their bedrolls together, making one. She climbed in and looked up at him, face carefully blank. What was she playing at here? What did she think he was going to do? He started to panic.

"Deacon," Nora said in the voice she usually reserved for talking down idiots with guns, "just come lay down. I won't even touch you if you don't want me to. Just come sleep next to me."

"You're not, expecting anything? Because you know…"

"I do know." Her eyes filled with understanding, her voice going sweetly soft. "Really. Just come lay down. I promise I'll be a good girl and keep my hands to myself." Her smile turned a little naughty, eyes sparkling with mischief. He sighed and decided to trust her. After all, she did have an unblemished history of keeping her promises.

Deacon slid in to his bedroll, laying on his back. Nora was on her side facing him, head cradled in one arm. He didn't look at her, because he didn't need to see her to know she was smiling smugly at him. He could feel it.

"Quit smiling at me like that, loser."

Nora just chuckled, "Whatever you say, partner."

In an attempt to calm him down and get his mind off his anxiety, Nora started talking. She chatted aimlessly about Pre-War life, flitting from topic to topic until he slowly relaxed, muscle by muscle. He began to ask her questions, turning on his side to face her. They both laid there, talking late into the night. Their eyelids were just beginning to droop when Deacon was struck by a moment of bravery and slowly reached out, taking her hand in his. Nora's eyes met his, suddenly alert with surprise. He just smiled, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

He had not initiated contact with her in months. Not since he had had to take care of her injury. Nora's heart was fluttering in her chest as he stroked the back of her hand. She squeezed his hand, silently thanking him for the gift and then closed her eyes. She fell asleep eventually still clutching his hand in hers.

Deacon could tell the moment Nora drifted off to sleep. He peeked over at her and his heart almost gave out. She was smiling in her sleep. Because of him. At least he was capable of doing something right. He closed his eyes, falling into the deepest sleep he had had in years, holding Nora's hand the entire time.

Nora and Deacon had become inseparable. Everyone assumed they were having sex, but Nora neither confirmed nor denied their suspicions. Deacon slept beside her most nights, even when they were back at Sanctuary where he still had his own room in the community house. For weeks they would sleep with only their hands touching, tightly clasped in the space between their bodies. Nora found herself constantly aroused, the littlest touch from him making her tremble with desire.

Deacon knew she was having a harder and harder time keeping her hands to herself. He felt terrible. He wanted to give her everything she wanted. Hell, maybe he should just try. The worst thing that could happen was only utter humiliation, so why not? They were lying in bed one night when he took a deep breath and pulled her into his arms. She was so warm and soft. She laid her head on his chest, wrapping one arm around his middle. He swore he could feel her heart beat where her chest was pressed against him. Her chest… He vividly remembered what her breasts looked like and he could feel himself getting hard as he thought about how those two beauties were currently pressed against him.

Nora couldn't believe she was in his arms. She felt like she was going to catch fire. She was trying to be calm, to not push things. This was a huge step and it should be enough, but it wasn't. Nora decided to throw one leg up over Deacon's, just wanting to be as close to him as possible. Her eyes went wide as her leg encountered something… hard. She could feel his erection through his jeans. She didn't know what to do. Feeling his desire against her thigh was making her crazy with lust. She pressed her leg against his hardness and was rewarded with a moan as he pressed his hips up into her. It was too much. She had to at least try.

Deacon should have seen it coming. In hindsight, he felt like a dunce. Before he even knew what was happening, Nora had climbed on top of him and was straddling his raging hard-on. Her hands were on either side of his face, her lips only inches from his. Her eyes seemed bigger than usual, filled with silent question and wanton desire. Damn was she beautiful. His hands slid up her back, one finding its way to the back of her neck. He pulled her those last couple of inches, their lips meeting softly at first. Her lips parted with a moan as the kiss deepened. The tip of his tongue explored her mouth as she pressed herself into him.

It's really happening. He was kissing her. His hand was in her hair, the other applying gentle pressure to her hips, finger tips pressed into the exposed flesh between her jeans and t-shirt. She felt like she was back in high school when she had her first make-out session, when every touch felt new and exciting. It had been so long since anyone had touched her…

Nora was rocking her hips and Deacon was almost painfully aware of how little stood between him and her. He rolled to his side, bringing Nora with him. She understood what he wanted and rolled the rest of the way over onto her back. He was on her, one knee pressed between her legs. His hand was in her hair again and he was kissing her hungrily. Her tongue was in his mouth and her fingers were digging into his back. He pressed his knee up into her heat and she moaned as she rubbed herself against him. He found the hem of her shirt with his other hand, sliding it up in search of those perfect breasts. He found what he was looking for, rubbing his thumb over her taut nipple and enjoying the shudder that passed through her. The way she was wiggling beneath him was driving him to the point of insanity. He wanted to be inside her. He broke off the kiss so he could look at her and froze. For just a moment when he had looked at Nora, he had seen Barbara smiling up at him like she used to, dimpling prettily.

Nora knew when he looked down at her that he wasn't with her anymore. He had gone completely still and then he pushing himself away from her. She followed as he threw himself at the wall. His forehead was pressed into the wall and he was shaking all over. Nora was afraid to touch him, but she was afraid if she didn't that she might lose him altogether. She wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her cheek against his back and held on. He tried to dislodge her at first, but his heart wasn't in it. He sunk to the floor and she went with him, pulling his head into her lap. He cried silently as she stroked his hair, his face pressed into her leg.

"I'm so sorry… so sorry." He cried, realizing that he didn't feel embarrassed. He felt nothing but an overwhelming sadness that he couldn't give this amazing woman the one thing she wanted from him. She was perfect. She had been so patient with him and still, after all this time… How could he fail her like this?

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I shouldn't have pushed you. I am the one that should be sorry."

Deacon shot up at her words. He placed his hands on either side of her face, his nose almost touching hers.

"No," he said so forcefully that if she couldn't see his eyes she would have thought he was mad, but his eyes were filled with nothing but sadness as he shook his head. "You are perfect. I should be able to do this for you… for us." He hesitated, then continued in a whisper, "It's the only thing you want from me and I can't give it to you."

Nora's heart soared as he said the word "us." He had never referred to them as a unit before. She came crashing back down at his last sentence, though. Now it was her turn to set him straight. She rose up on her knees, looking at him sternly.

"Let's get one thing straight right now. Sex isn't the only thing I want from you. I want your companionship, your advice, your laughter, your ridiculous lies… I want you." She poked him in the chest with one finger, "Do I want to have sex with you, well hell yes. Of course I do, but that is the least of what I want from you. We'll get there eventually and I can be patient. You're worth it, Deacon."

He didn't know what to say, so he settled for the truth for once.

"I don't deserve you." He pulled her close to his chest, clinging to her.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been weeks since their aborted attempt to have sex. Nora had convinced him not to stop sleeping with her and they had upgraded from hand holding to cuddling. Nora was very careful from then on not to initiate anything, because she just couldn't stand to see him upset like that again. That didn't mean she wasn't thinking about it, though. She replayed everything that had happened up until it had gone to hell over and over again. She obsessed over every detail, remembering the noises me had made and the feel of his thumb running across her nipple, the slight scratchiness of his stubble on her chin as they kissed. And his mouth… she was wet just thinking about how soft his lips were, not to mention how his deft tongue had teased hers. She wondered what else that skilled tongue of his might be good at…

This wasn't helping. She was all worked up and she could hear him opening the front door. She couldn't lay down in bed with him like this. She wanted him so much it physically hurt and she was afraid that if she got in bed with him she was going to end up rubbing against him like a cat in heat. He walked in and she looked at him feeling guilty.

Deacon would have thought he had caught her murdering puppies for fun by the look on her face. She looked guilty as hell about something, but he had no clues as to what. She was literally standing in the middle of the room empty handed.

"You got a dead body in the closet, Whisper?"

"No."

"Under the bed then?" Was he imagining things, or had she just glanced sheepishly at the bed? As he watched a bright red blush crept up her neck, settling into her cheeks in a matter of moments. He looked from her to the bed and back again. He took a deep breath as the realization hit him. He couldn't blame her. He had to be supportive. This was all his fault, after all. He walked passed her to the small table in the corner, pulling out a chair a motioning for her to sit in it. He pulled out the other chair and sat down across from her. Her hands were on the table and he placed his over hers.

"It's okay if something happened. I wish you would have come to me first and told me, but I had honestly planned on suggesting it myself. I just want you to be happy." He squeezed her hands, trying to reassure her.

Nora's face went through a comical amount of emotions before landing somewhere between disbelief and fury.

"What exactly is it that you think I've done?" Her voice was deadly low and her eyes were narrowed in the way she usually reserved for people that were shooting at her.

"Well, you looked guilty and you reacted funny when I brought up the bed… I figured you had, uh… had company?" He was quickly losing confidence in his skills of deduction.

Nora threw his hands off hers and pushed her chair back, almost tipping it over. She stormed towards the center of the room before violently turning to face him.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Deacon?! I haven't been fucking anyone behind your back, you idiot! I would never do that. Do you want to know why I looked guilty as hell when you walked in? Do you?"

Deacon just nodded, grateful for the sunglasses that were hiding his wide eyes.

"I was feeling guilty because I had been replaying the one time things have gotten physical between us. I obsess over it." She sauntered toward him, wicked glint in her chocolate brown eyes. She leaned over, hands on her knees so that her eyes were closer to his and giving him a fantastic view down her tank top. His pulse quickened and he ripped his eyes from her gorgeous flesh. "Do you think about it, too?" Her voice was pure silk as she taunted him. "Because I was just thinking about how good you are with your tongue and what other jobs I might be able to find for it."

He was already hard and then she slowly ran her tongue over her top lip, staring into his eyes the whole time. He gulped. He didn't know how to diffuse the situation. Why had he jumped to conclusions? He felt awful for doubting her and horny as hell.

"I shouldn't have assumed."

"You're damn right, you shouldn't have." She straightened up and walked over to the bed, sitting down heavily on the edge of it. She looked defeated. "I was worrying about making you uncomfortable with my sexual advances and now here I am practically shoving my tits in your face. I'm sorry, too. I fucked up. I shouldn't have done that to you." She was staring at her feet, avoiding his gaze.

Wow. He had really fucked things up this time. He was usually so careful with everything he said, but he had gotten used to being honest with her and had gotten carried away. He stood up, crossing to sit next to her on the bed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It makes me so unbelievably happy that you want me. You're gorgeous and strong and so much better than I deserve. I am so lucky that you have been this patient with me."

"But?" He exhaled, nodding his head. She knew him so well.

"But," he acknowledged, using a hand to tip her chin up so that she was finally looking at him, "it's unfair for me to do this to you. You deserve a good fucking." He smiled at her shocked expression.

"I do at that, but you can't and I won't cheat so we're kind of at an impasse."

"What if it wasn't cheating?" She cocked her head to the side, arching one eyebrow in question. "I mean, what if we pick someone together? You can have your physical needs met and I will still be here to fall asleep beside you."

"You'd be okay with that? I mean, I would prefer it was you, but to be honest… it's just been so long…" she tried to look away, but he stopped her.

"Don't ever be ashamed. I hate that I have made you feel that way. And of course, I would be okay with that. I want you to be happy. As long as we are honest with each other, I think this could work for now."

"I have one condition."

"Let's hear it."

"I want you here whenever it happens. Unless you think it would make you too jealous."

Deacon's heart was racing at the thought. He had never even considered the possibility that he could be included in some way and if he was being honest with himself, he had always been something of a voyeur.

"You wouldn't mind if I watched?"

Nora smiled, that wicked light back in her eyes.

"Mind? I want you to, if you think watching would, uh… do it for you, that is."

"I think watching you would definitely do it for me."

Nora shrugged his arm off her shoulders, reaching for his hand and intertwining her fingers with his.

"Who do you think we should ask? It would have to be someone we can both trust and that is capable of keeping their mouth shut." He looked at her, trying to anticipate who she would suggest.

"Well, that rules out Piper… she can't keep a secret to save her life!"

"Wait," Deacon wasn't sure if he was understanding her correctly, "are you considering a woman?"

"Well, yeah. Possibly. Is that a problem?"

"Not a problem, no. I was just surprised." Thinking about her with another woman was already getting him excited… "Here are the options as I see them. Cait would probably be down, I have seen the way she looks at you and now that she's not on the chems anymore she's a lot more trustworthy. There's Preston, but I think he's too likely to get emotionally attached and that's kind of my whole department. If you're into big muscles there's always Danse, but I don't know if he would be okay with me watching. He seems a little too vanilla. RJ is an option, if you're into cradle robbing. From some of the things he's told me, he's pretty kinky… so he would probably be okay with what we want. Finally, there's Hancock. If his skin, or lack thereof, doesn't bother you I know for sure he has been interested since you first walked into Goodneighbor. He's pretty crazy and into some seriously kinky things if the rumors are even partially true. Plus, he's no stranger to keeping his mouth shut."

"You've given this some serious thought." Nora said, laughing. "I pretty much agree with everything you said and it sounds to me like our best options are Cait or Hancock."

After debating the merits of their two friends, Nora decided that they should approach Hancock first. When it came down to it, Deacon had been right. She needed a good fucking and she thought Hancock was just the ghoul for the job. She, too, had heard the rumors about him and they had been overwhelmingly favorable. Now all they had to do was ask.


	4. Chapter 4

Tonight was the night. Hancock had obviously been surprised by the request, but he wasn't the kind of guy to leave his friends in a lurch. He hadn't known that Deacon and Nora weren't sleeping together, but he supposed that was by design. Poor bastard. He wouldn't go around advertising that information either. He wasn't sure if he would want to watch his girl get boned by another dude if he were in Deacon's place, but he had been around long enough to know it took different strokes for different folks… Who was he to judge? He'd been involved in some serious kink in the past, even been with a few dudes just to see what all the fuss was about, so he didn't care if Deacon sat right on the bed and high fived him. Heck, he always performed better with an audience.

Nora hadn't been sure what to wear, so she had given up and was wearing nothing but her underwear. She luckily had one nice black, lacey bra and a pair of bikini cut cotton panties that were also black. She was sitting on the edge of the bed while Deacon was seated at the table in the corner.

"Where do you think you'll want to be?" She was nervous, but in an excited way. She needed this and Hancock was such a close friend. He had been so understanding when they had gone to him and she knew he would never betray their trust.

"Is over here okay?"

"Of course. I want you to be wherever is comfortable for you. Don't be shy, okay? I want you here. If you decide you don't like it or if it's too difficult, just say the word."

"I would never do that to you." He was being completely honest. After everything they had been through together, there was no way he was going to ruin this for her. "You won't mind if I uh…"

"Touch yourself?" She smiled, "Not at all. I would actually like you to. Maybe if you can imagine yourself with me it'll help us get to a place where…"

"I know. Come here," he stood up, holding his arms open to her. She practically flew into them and he held her close.

"Can I have one kiss before he gets here?"

Deacon tipped her chin up and kissed her once, long and lingering. When he broke off the kiss he could tell she wanted more, but she just smiled happily and whispered, "Thank you."

The door opened and closed quietly, signaling the arrival of everyone's favorite Ghoul. He sauntered into the room, jaw hanging slightly open as he took in Nora's lack of clothes.

"I like your style, doll." He said, winking lewdly at her. Nora laughed, it sounded a little nervous, but that was only to be expected. Hancock acknowledged Deacon with a nod. "I don't exactly know what the social protocol is for coming over to sleep with one friend as a favor to another friend, but I was thinking a chem break might help break the ice. Any takers?"

Nora was so glad they had picked Hancock. His bluntness was helping her calm down about the situation and some Jet really wouldn't hurt, either.

"Yes, please!" Nora didn't even have to tell him what she wanted. He pulled a red inhaler out of his pocket and crossed the room to hand her the Jet.

"If I remember correctly, Jet's your ride of choice, yes?"

"Sure is. Thanks, John." She took the inhaler with a smile and walked over to the table. She had a decent bottle of whiskey set out, her other ride of choice, three glasses waiting next to it. She held the bottle up, giving both men a questioning look. They both nodded, so she poured whiskey into all three glasses and then distributed them.

She downed her glass in two large gulps, much to Hancock's amusement who quickly followed suit.

"Now it's a party." He took off his hat, sitting it down on the dresser and then shrugged out of his red coat. He had a plain white t-shirt on underneath it. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to him. Nora sat down next to him, shaking the inhaler. She took a hit and then passed the inhaler to Hancock as she inhaled. He sat it down on the bed where she could easily find it and then reached out and took her hand.

She watched in slow motion as Hancock's scarred hand wrapped around hers. She was shocked by his warmth and intrigued by the texture of his skin. It was softer than she had anticipated. She placed her other hand on the back of his, tracing the patterns of his skin.

"Listen, doll. We're good friends and I gotta lot of respect for you. You just tell me what you want and if you change your mind, don't sweat it. You aren't gonna hurt my feelings, okay?" His black eyes were full of concern and his gravelly voice was just a touch softer than usual.

"I feel the same way, John. Thank you, but I don't think I'm going to be changing my mind. It's been over two hundred years since I got laid…"

"Huh, I hadn't really thought about that. Damn, girl."

Nora just laughed and took a second hit of Jet. As she pulled the inhaler away from her mouth, it was replaced by a pair of lips that were slightly rough in texture but gentle. Hancock wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She couldn't believe how warm he was. He nibbled at her bottom lip, using just the right amount of teeth. She moaned and he used the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She reached up, placing her hands on his chest. He was an exceptional kisser. He used the right amount of tongue while being just a little rough. His hands were traveling over her terrain in exploration and her breath caught in her throat as it made its way up her stomach to knead her breast.

Deacon knew that most men would be jealous in his position, but it was strangely freeing. He was able to enjoy all the beautiful little things Nora did without the fear and anxiety that always plagued him. And she was beautiful. Her long, shapely legs ending in delicate ankles. The swell of her hip tapering to a trim waist. She was so much more than her physical beauty, though. She was fierce, yet vulnerable. Courageous and giving, but a force to be reckoned with when crossed. She could kill Raiders and then turn around and gift a settler's child with a teddy bear. He didn't know what she saw in him, but he knew how lucky he was.

Hancock couldn't believe his luck. He had always admired Nora, both physically and just as a person. She had a smokin' bod and the attitude to back it up. He had a feeling this girl knew what she was doing, even if it had been a seriously long time. The way she had her fist twisted into his shirt so she could pull him closer was a promising sign, for sure.

Nora pulled away standing up so she could look down at the man before her.

"Take your shirt off."

Hancock did as he was told, glancing briefly in Deacon's direction to see how the dude was holding up. He didn't think Deacon had any idea that he was looking at him because he clearly only had eyes for Nora. He was transfixed by her every move, which made Hancock feel like he was doing the right thing. That was the moment he really realized that he had not just one person to please here. It was an interesting challenge to be the one window that a man could see his woman through. Without Hancock, who knew how long it would be before Deacon could see all the little things she did while she was in the throes of passion?

Nora watched as the ghoul pulled his shirt off, tossing it to the ground at her feet. She was making a show of standing in just such a manner that all of her best assets were easily visible by her little voyeur in the corner. She took a few steps towards Hancock, standing on his discarded shirt. She propped one foot up on the bed, right next to Hancock's leg. She looked up through her eyelashes at him, hooking one finger into the crotch of her panties and pulling it back so that he could clearly see the most intimate part of her.

Wow was she perfect. Hancock couldn't remember ever seeing a prettier pussy. She was pink and slightly plump, her clitoris already swollen with desire. He watched as she pointed towards her center and then mimed licking something in an extremely lewd way. Hancock was more than willing to oblige her, sinking down on his knees before her. He lapped at her plump little clitoris, enjoying her sounds of enjoyment as he tasted her. God did she taste good. He reached around her grabbing her hips and pulling them forward while he hummed into her most sensitive part.

Deacon couldn't see enough of her. She was glorious. Her blond hair cascading down to the middle of her back as she arched in enjoyment was captivating.

Hancock could probably stay down where he was forever, but he stood up, wiping his mouth off with a thumb. He circled around her until he was standing behind her. He undid the clasps on her bra, pushing the straps down off her shoulders. She let the bra slide down her arms to the floor, gasping as Hancock slipped his warm hands around her body to gently cup her breasts from behind. She pressed herself back against him, rubbing her ass against his erection.

Nora then bent over the bed, wiggling her ass at him in invitation. He untied the flag he used as a belt and undid his pants, letting them fall around his knees. He pulled Nora's panties out of the way and ran a single finger down her slit, marveling at her tightness as he slid one finger in and brought it back out. He rubbed the head of his penis against her and she moaned at the contact. Hancock wanted to bury himself deep inside her when she made noises like that, but he was going to take his time with her, do things right.

Nora quivered as Hancock rubbed his throbbing erection against her most sensitive part. She couldn't wait for him to be inside her, but he teased her for several minutes instead. He would line himself up with her center only to pull away just shy of penetration. She felt like she was going to explode with yearning until he finally pressed himself past her tight threshold, making her groan as she sank herself deeper onto his hardness.

Hancock pushed into her tight little pussy forcefully, but slow. He didn't want to hurt her and he was worried that he was going to lose his cool now that he was inside her. She felt like warm silk gripped tightly around his cock. He took a deep breath trying not to think about how good she felt, because he had a job to do. He had to make this beauty come.

Deacon reached onto his pants stroking himself slowly as he watched Hancock enter her. He was holding on to her hips controlling the depth of his penetration as he moves in and out of her. Deacon watched as Hancock's dick disappeared inside of her, coming back out shiny, moist with her desire.

Nora held on to the bed, pushing herself into him, urging him to move faster. He does, their thighs smacking loudly as he drills into her until she is moaning. It hurts, it's been so long, but she doesn't care. She's lost in the feeling of his cock sliding in and out of her. Even his penis is covered in scars, but that only makes it feel better. She's surprised to feel Hancock's hand slide up her back, grabbing a fist full of her hair and pulling her head up off the bed by it. He pulls out of her, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him.

"Don't forget we're putting on a show," he whispers in her ear, his rough voice barely able to be heard.

She hadn't forgotten, but his words did give her an idea. She pushed away from him and slid her panties off while he stepped out of his boots and pants. She pointed to the bed, taking control of the situation again. He obeyed, arranging himself on the bed so that Deacon would have a good view of her once she got on top and she smiled at his consideration. They really had picked the best man for this. She joined him on the bed, kissing him gently on the lips before straddling him. She rocked her hips, rubbing her moist, swollen lips against his cock enjoying the way his back arched and his eyes closed. She lifted up, reaching below her and taking hold of his cock. She positioned him so that he was at her entrance, looking over at Deacon as she pushed herself down onto Hancock's erection, gasping as he filled her.

Her eyes met his and Deacon almost came right then. Her eyes didn't leave his as she rocked her hips, her hands fondling her breasts as she bit her bottom lip. He knew she was thinking of him as she rode Hancock. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wanted to memorize every sound, every look.

Nora leaned forward, turning her attention back to Hancock. She kissed him, biting his thin bottom lip, bracing her arms against his chest so she could slid herself up his cock and then back down. His hands were on her ass, encouraging her. She was getting close when Hancock took a hold of her and flipped her over onto her back, her head almost completely off the foot of the bed. He was inside of her, fingers digging into her hips as he thrusted into her, her breasts bouncing from the force. She let her head hang down off the bed and realized why Hancock had put her that way. She was looking straight at Deacon. He was upside down from her perspective, but their eyes locked and she saw him mouth the words, "Come for me." At that moment, Hancock's thumb found her clit and began to rub it. That combined with the look in Deacon's eyes and the relentless pace at which Hancock was drilling her and she felt her muscles contracting as her orgasm overtook her. She moaned loudly, closing her eyes in ecstasy.

Hancock could feel the rhythmic pulsing of her release all around him and with a few more forceful thrusts he came with an animalistic grunt.

The look on her face as she orgasmed, the sound of pleasure that was escaping those pouty, perfect lips… Deacon reached his own climax, unable to tear his eyes from her.

Hancock had left soon after, Nora walking him to the side door wearing a long t-shirt. He had started to open the door when he felt her hand on his. He turned to her and she wrapped her arms around his middle. He pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin.

"Thank you, John."

"No need for thankyous, doll." We whispered into her hair, before pulling away reluctantly. "I'll see you later." He winked at her and then slipped out of the door, pulling it closed silently behind him. He kept to the shadows as he made his way to his own bed. He still couldn't believe the night he had just had. That was one for the books.

Nora stopped at the entrance to the bedroom, leaning on the door frame, suddenly shy. Deacon was standing in the middle of the room and as he saw the hesitant look on her face he smiled.

"Come here, beautiful." He held his arms out for her and she fell into him, nuzzling into his chest.

"So, you're okay?" Her whispered voice was nearly lost in his chest.

"Yes." He pulled her over to the bed, pulling the blankets back and climbing in. She scurried in after him, laying her head on his chest. "Hancock was the right choice, don't you think?"

"I do. Thank you."

They lapsed into silence while Deacon reached for every ounce of courage he possessed. He took a deep breath and said something he never thought he'd say again.

"I love you, you know."

Tears stung Nora's eyes and she sat up so she could see his face. He looked scared as hell and she knew the feeling.

"I love you, too." She leaned forward, placing a kiss on his forehead before cuddling back into him.

Deacon didn't know why this beautiful, strong creature even graced him with her presence, but for once he decided not to question it. He just held on tight.


	5. Chapter 5

Nora came back from the Institute a complete emotional wreck, collapsing into his arms in the middle of Sanctuary. Deacon held her close, her body shaking as wracking sobs poured out of her. He looked up to see Hancock staring at them and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He had fallen in love with her, too. How could he have not realized? Hancock was clearly in the throes of an internal struggle, torn between wanting to comfort the woman he loved and feeling like it wasn't his place. Deacon knew how it felt to be on the outside and he couldn't just leave his friend out in the cold. Hell, it was his fault Hancock was in this mess to begin with!

Deacon picked up Nora, her sobbing body limp in his arms. As he turned to carry her into the house he paused to look at Hancock, indicating that he should follow with a jerk of his head.

Hancock was in agony. He wanted to be there for Nora, but he knew that wasn't the deal. It wasn't their fault that he couldn't just stick to the plan. He had been having emotionless sex, pretty much exclusively, for years! Why did his heart have to pick the one girl that he couldn't have? Every time he went to her bed he knew he should end it, but then he would see her sitting there, eyeing him hungrily and all his resolve would fly out the window. He lived for the moments he got to be inside her. He wanted so much more, though. He watched as Deacon picked her up and turned to go into the house. Had he just… He had. Deacon had asked him to follow.

Hancock walked away like he was heading to his room, but then circled around the back of the buildings until he reached Nora's side door. He slid in and practically ran to the bedroom. She was laying on her side, face buried in Deacon's chest as she cried. Hancock looked to Deacon, unsure of what to do. Deacon motioned him forward with a wave of his hand, nodding in reassurance. Hancock took a deep breath wishing he could take a hit of Jet to prepare himself, and then climbed in on Nora's other side, pressing gently against her back. She didn't even look up, but she reached back with one hand blindly searching for his. He took her hand in his and she clutched it with a desperate strength that nearly broke his heart. He looked up at Deacon and saw the same concern in his eyes.

They laid like that for long time, just offering Nora silent support and holding her while she fell apart. She eventually stopped crying, but still she clung to them, neither man saying a word. They knew that she would speak once she was ready and they were right. The story eventually poured out of her, her voice sounding detached and vaguely robotic. She told them of the depths of the Institutes treachery. How the 10 year old Shaun she had been chasing was nothing but a synth that they had created to torture her, because her own child was much older than that.

"Sixty years old. My son is a grown man. He has gray hair and everything. He looks older than me."

"That doesn't mean you can't still get to know him," Deacon whispered hopefully into her hair. Nora just laughed in response, a short, humorless bark of a laugh.

"I haven't even told you the worst part, yet," she said as she sat up, turning to face them both. "Shaun, he's their leader. He's the one that's been pulling the strings this whole time I have been searching for him."

They both stared at her, dumbfounded. The implications of her words struck them and now they understood why she was so miserable. She hadn't just lost her child. Her child had played with her like a cat plays with a mouse. He could have saved her from the vault so many times. He could have approached her at any time in all the months she had been desperately searching for him, but he hadn't. Neither of them knew what to say. There was nothing they could do to fix this.

"My son is a monster. One that would raze the entire Commonwealth just so he could replace it with something more to his liking. And he had the nerve to ask for my help." Her eyes were dead, their usual spark snuffed out, her voice matter-of-fact.

"Whatcha wanna do about it, doll?" Hancock was trying to control his voice, but it was hard to hide his fury. She had been through so much, but she had never lost her hope, her drive. It made him furious to see her defeated like this.

Nora turned to him and he almost shrunk back. He was wrong, she hadn't lost her fire and he almost felt sorry for the Institute. Almost. They had no one to blame but themselves for what was going to come next.

"I brought him into this world, so I guess it's on me to take him out. I'm going to bury them all in the rubble of the Commonwealth." She looked from Hancock to Deacon and was apparently satisfied with what she found there, because a slow, cruel smile stretched across her face.

Deacon shivered at the look on the face of the woman he loved. He recognized that look, it was the same one he had had when he went after the Claws. He looked at Hancock, who turned to meet his gaze.

"Just tell us what to do." Deacon told her as Hancock nodded in agreement.

There is only one bright spot in all of this hell, Nora thought as she looked at the two men before her. She knew Hancock wouldn't be here unless Deacon had invited him. She didn't know how he always not only knew what she needed, but unselfishly gave it to her. She had never been with someone that accepted her exactly as she was letting her not just be herself, but allowing her to be honest with herself. Nate had been sweet and loving, but he had always expected her to fit the mold. He expected her to be the perfect wife, the perfect mother. The expectation of perfection was a burden no one should have to bear and she had been floundering under its weight. Deacon didn't expect her to be anything other than herself. She knew he thought he didn't deserve her, but he couldn't have gotten it more wrong. She was the lucky one.

The months following the destruction of the Institute were filled with tears and rage juxtaposed with more love than Nora had ever thought possible. She wasn't sure she would have survived if it hadn't been for Deacon and Hancock. They had taken her away from Sanctuary, away from all the settlers with their well-meaning questions and sympathetic looks. She couldn't stand to be anywhere near the room that Shaun had once slept in and one afternoon Hancock had found her taking an axe to his the old crib. Hancock had stood back while she decimated the faded wood, only coming close to wrap her in his arms once she had dissolved in tears. Deacon had appeared in the doorway, drawn by the sounds of destruction.

"Pack some bags, man. We gotta get our girl outta here." Hancock had said to him over her head. Deacon nodded and went to collect their things.

They decided to take her to Spectacle Island. Last time they were there they had gotten the mirelurk repelling system up and running, but they hadn't done anything else there. They hadn't set up a beacon for settlers or built any structures, so the place should be secluded. Plus, they knew Nora liked to keep busy so they could use the time they were there to prepare the island for settlers.

Nora hadn't even had the energy to cry the first week they were on the island. There had been too much to do just to make the place inhabitable, which was really a blessing. She was wracked with guilt over what she had done to the Institute and she wasn't ready to face it.

Week two arrived, bringing with it less work and more time for introspection. Not to mention the fact that she and the men had never had a discussion about what the hell they were doing, which hadn't posed much of a problem in the beginning. They had been passing out every night in the only standing building on the island which happened to be an old shed. There had been no need for discussions about sleeping arrangements, so they had all continued to ignore the giant elephant. Now there were rooms built that were all furnished with their own beds and the moment they had all been avoiding had arrived.

They were sitting around the fire, finishing up their dinner of mirelurk stew when Nora put her bowl down and stood up.

"What are we doing guys? I mean, what the hell are we doing?"

Hancock laughed, popping a Mentat into his mouth. He didn't even need to ask what she was talking about.

"That's a good question, doll."

"No really, what is this? I mean, it all seemed so simple in the beginning…" her gaze found Deacon's, his eyes not hidden by his glasses. It made her happy that he had quit wearing them around her. She loved being able to see his eyes, a blue so pale that sometimes they looked almost white. They were such a striking contrast to Hancock's. Hell, their eyes weren't the only striking contrast between them. She wasn't sure if she could have found two men more different. Deacon and his ability to disappear, observe without being noticed while Hancock was usually the center of attention, strutting around in his flamboyant red frock. Deacon held who he was so close to the vest that most people had no idea what his favorite color was, much less anything important. Hancock was practically an open book. They were, however, both unerringly loyal and willing to risk their lives for what they believed in. Plus, John's self ghoulification reminded her an awful lot of Deacon's inability to be intimate. They were both punishing themselves for sins they had, in her eyes, atoned for long ago. Maybe they weren't quite as different as she thought.

"Come here, Whisper." Deacon was holding out his arms for her and she curled up in his lap, clinging to him tightly. "I know that you think this is complicated, but it's not. It's very simple, in fact. Do you love me?"

"Of course I do." Her voice sounded desperate, like she was afraid he wouldn't believe her. She had her hands on either side of his face, her eyes pleading.

"Do you love Hancock?"

"I-" she hesitated, but he just smiled and nodded encouragingly. "I do."

"Look at him, Nora." She did as he commanded and the confusion, hope and naked longing that she saw on John's face was everything she had wanted and feared all wrapped into one. She felt Deacon move and realized he had waved for Hancock to come closer. The ghoul came close, kneeling in the dirt next to them.

"You love me?"

"Yes," her voice was barely a whisper.

"I wouldn't have expected that kind of lapse in judgement from you."

Nora laughed, a few tears escaping and sliding down her cheeks.

"But how does this solve anything? I can't pick between you!" More tears ran down her face at even the thought of losing one of them.

"Who's asking you to, love?" Hancock's voice was soft, tinged with humor.

Nora's eyes went wide and she looked from him to Deacon.

"I just want you to be happy. If that means it's the three of us, then we'll just have to find a bigger bed." Deacon smiled, wiping her tears away with a gentle thumb.

"That doesn't mean you're giving up on… well… trying to be with me, does it?"

Deacon didn't think he could love her any more than he did in that moment.

"Never, my love."

"He'll get there, doll. We'll figure this out together."

Nora leaned over and kissed Hancock full on the mouth, almost toppling out of Deacon's lap. She wasn't sure how she had gotten this lucky, but she was finished questioning it. She knew that it wouldn't always be easy, but what relationship was?

"I've got a surprise for you two. Come on," Deacon said as he threw Nora over his shoulder and headed off into the trees as she giggled and kicked. Hancock followed along, laughing as the most intimidating woman in the Commonwealth giggled like a young girl.

Deacon carried her through a doorway and set her on her feet before flipping a switch that illuminated the small house.

"You told me this was for the settlers!" Nora exclaimed, looking around herself in awe.

"I lied. Is that really so surprising?" His satisfied smirk didn't last long, because she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed it away. She was careful not to kiss him for too long and he appreciated her carefulness, her sensitivity.

Nora looked around the small house, opening a door that led to a room with a huge bed centered on the far wall, three dressers lined up around the others.

"How did you?"

"I had to get creative, but I think it turned out."

Nora walked across the room and sat down on the bed, bouncing up and down experimentally.

"I think it'll do! Thank you, Deacon. That you did this…"

"Anything for you, Whisper."

They spent the rest of the evening lounging in their new bed, talking and trying to figure out the dynamics of this new relationship. She had always been careful not to be cuddly or overly affectionate with Hancock out of respect for Deacon, but now she didn't have to worry about that. She briefly worried about what other people would say, because it wasn't like they could stay on this island forever. Eventually people were going to notice, because there was no way she would feel okay not publically acknowledging one of them. Hancock had just laughed and reminded her that this was the Commonwealth and a lot stranger things went down every day. Plus, there might not still be a Commonwealth if it hadn't been for her, so they could keep their opinions to themselves.

Eventually they fell asleep, Nora snuggled up between them with a sleepy smile on her face that refused to leave.


	6. Chapter 6

Nora had been right, it wasn't always easy to balance the needs of three people, but it was always worth it in the end. Their friends had accepted the situation with little comment, all of them just happy to see her recovering from everything she had been through with the Institute. Other people took a little longer to accept them, but she honestly didn't care. She was too damn happy. Strangely enough, Hancock was the one that had helped Deacon the most with his anxiety and self-blame. The two of them became as close with each other as she was with them, Deacon opening up to him about his past. Nora had a feeling that Hancock even knew more about Barbara than she did. When Deacon finally felt like he might be ready for more, it was Hancock he went to first looking for advice. The next time Nora and Hancock had started getting intimate, Hancock had reached a hand out to Deacon in invitation.

Nora had been surprised, but pleased and very, very scared that she was going to do something wrong. Hancock had been there to help them and she was convinced that his presence was what had made the difference. That first time she and Deacon didn't go all the way, but he had gone down on her with an eagerness and skill level that had surprised her, making her scream his name as she climaxed. Hancock had high-fived him when he was finished, to which Nora had rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. She had then dropped to her knees in front of Deacon and slowly taken him into her mouth, making eye contact with him as she did. She was worried he was going to freak, but she tried to act like she wasn't. She was afraid that if he sensed any worry from her his anxiety would return.

Deacon was doing his best to stay in the moment as Nora wrapped her pouty lips around his cock. Hancock was there with them and whenever he felt like he was slipping he would look to his best friend and Hancock would help snap him out of it with nod of encouragement or a lewd comment. Nora's clever mouth knew exactly what to do and for the first time in longer than he'd care to admit, he came with a woman. She stood up, swallowing his seed with a naughty smile and he was convinced that she was the sexist woman alive.

Hancock had been completely satisfied with the show he had received and was beginning to think Deacon was onto something. He wasn't expecting anything when Deacon had turned to Nora with a questioning look that she apparently understood. She leaned over the bed, wiggling her ass in the air while Deacon looked at Hancock with an arched eyebrow and smacked her perfectly round rear. She squealed in surprise and the sound made Hancock's heart race.

"You didn't think we forgot about you, did you?"

That was all the invitation he needed. He untied his flag belt and undid his pants freeing his raging erection. He buried himself in her, groaning in pleasure. He had never been with anyone who felt as good as she and he knew he'd ever get tired of her sweet little snatch.

Nora arched her back as Hancock had his way with her, fucking her hard and fast. She looked to the side and saw that Deacon was still right beside her. She reached out for his hand and held it tight. He had always stayed on the other side of the room when she and Hancock were intimate, so his proximity was a welcomed surprise. He squeezed her hand tight and she was looking into his eyes as she came for the second time.

Hancock felt her tighten around him and knew that he had accomplished his goal. With a few more frantic thrusts he finished inside her. He pulled out and collapsed on the bed, panting from exertion. Nora laid next to him, looking over with a smile.

Nora couldn't believe how lucky she was. She turned her head to face Deacon and pulled his hand up to her lips, placing a delicate kiss on it. She wanted to say she was proud of him, but she wasn't sure if that would sound too corny.

"That was some impressive work, sir." She stuck her tongue out in a lewd example of what she was referencing, making him laugh in surprise.

"I'm glad you found my performance satisfactory."

"I think it was more than just 'satisfactory'." She said before climbing up to the top of the bed so she could climb under the covers. Her men followed her and she fell asleep in her favorite place, wrapped in the arms of her best friends.

Deacon was nervous as hell. Nora didn't know it yet, but they were going to sleep together tonight. He had talked to Hancock about it, asking him to be there. His friend had readily agreed, saying he would do whatever he could to help. Deacon had thanked him and turned to go, but was stopped by Hancock's hand on his shoulder. He turned around and found himself face to face with Hancock. The ghoul looked nervous as he put his hands on either side of his face and kissed him.

Deacon felt like he was on Jet, everything was happening in slow motion. The kiss was intense, but brief and Hancock pulled back, nervous smile on his face.

"Don't worry, brother. I've got your back. You feel me?"

"Yeah, man. I feel ya." Deacon replied with a smile.

Nora was surprised to find the men lounging in bed waiting for her when she got home.

"Having a party without me?" She dropped her bag in the doorway and climbed into bed with them.

Hancock reached over and pulled her shirt off over her head while Deacon undid her pants, leaving her naked in record time. Deacon was on her, roughly shoving his tongue into her mouth while one of his hands found its way to her cleft. She was caught off guard by his forcefulness, but in a good way. He was generally timid with her and she was finding that she liked this take-charge Deacon. She moaned as his finger entered her while his thumb rubbed her clitoris. His mouth moved from hers to her neck, her collarbone and then latched on to one of her nipples. His tongue circled her nipple as his fingers explored her warmth, teasing. She was squirming and moaning and she could feel her heart beating in her throat. Was this really going to happen? He already had her worked up to a fever pitch when he held himself up above her reaching between them to line himself up with her entrance. He looked into her eyes and kissed her softly.

"You ready?" He whispered and as she nodded her head she felt him plunge into her all the way to her core.

She was so tight and wet and the way she was arching her back was making him crazy, but somehow he was starting to lose it. He looked up and Hancock was right there giving him the most ridiculous thumbs up. He almost laughed, but it had at least worked to keep him present. He began to move inside of her, looking down into her eyes. She lifted her head up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He set a slow, deep pace enjoying her gasps and sighs as he thrust deep into her.

Nora was already getting close as she raised her hips to meet him with every thrust. She couldn't believe he was here with her, in her.

"I love you," she whispered.

Her words sent him over the edge and as he thrust hard, spilling his seed into her she grabbed his hips and pressed herself against him, arching her back. He felt her tighten around him as she joined him in release, a shuddering gasp escaping her mouth as she fell limp beneath him.

"I love you, too."

Nora curled up against him, sighing with contentment. She still couldn't believe it.

Deacon held her close, reaching a hand over her for Hancock, encouraging him to cuddle in close behind their girl.

Nora reached a hand back, pulling Hancock closer. He leaned in, placing a single kiss on the top of her head.

Deacon looked over Nora, making eye contact with Hancock. The ghoul smiled at him and Deacon was struck by how lucky he was to have the two of them. It was rare to find even just one person that accepted you, much less two. He reached out, placing his hand over Hancock's with a squeeze.


	7. Chapter 7

Deacon felt like a man that had been dying of thirst that now found himself at the banks of a stream filled with all the cool, crisp water he could ever desire. After so long of not being able to be with Nora, or anyone else, it was all he wanted to do. He wanted to be inside of her all day, every day. He was making up for lost time with a single minded determination that he was impressed Nora could keep up with because it was frankly ridiculous.

Nora woke up, opening her eyes to see Deacon already awake. She smiled at him as she stretched, yawning hugely.

"Good morning, handsome."

"Good morning, lover." The endearment fell from his lips like warm honey, slow and sweet, sending a thrill of desire through her. Nora still couldn't believe the changes that their relationship had gone through in the last few weeks. She and Hancock were seeing sides of Deacon that they hadn't even guessed existed. Her lingering guilt over everything that had happened with Shaun was the only dark cloud hovering over her otherwise blissful existence. She was just going to have to get used to that particular cloud though, because it wasn't going anywhere. Instead of worrying about the guilt, she had been forgetting her sorrows in the arms of her two loves, both more than happy to offer her the distraction.

Hancock awoke to see Nora rolling into Deacon's waiting arms. Part of him had been nervous that maybe they wouldn't need him once Deacon was passed his emotional hang-ups about sex, but even that fear hadn't stopped Hancock from wanting to help him. Luckily, his fears seemed to be unfounded. Both of them had come to him individually to reassure him, so he had tried to put his fears to rest. He knew their relationship was unconventional, but he wouldn't want it any other way. He didn't even want to think about being alone again, taking hits of Jet while drinking bottle after bottle of Gwinnett Stout at the Third Rail until he stumbled back to the State House with a random townie on his arm. He didn't want to be a touring ghoul anymore. He had tasted perfection and there was no going back for him.

Deacon ran his hand up the pale flesh of Nora's thigh and over the swell of her hip, sliding it around her waist and pulling her up against him. His mouth found the sensitive skin just under her jaw line and sunk his teeth into it. She gasped, arching her back and digging her nails into him. He trailed kisses and gentle bites down her neck while she squirmed and moaned. He looked up to see Hancock watching, desire blatant on his scarred visage. He rolled Nora onto her back, indicating that he should join them.

Nora wasn't even aware that Hancock was awake until she felt his warm hands on her as he found his way between her legs, exposing her with deft fingers. His warm tongue, lapping playfully at her sensitive bud, sent shivers of pleasure up her spine. Deacon had worked his way down to her chest and was flicking one of her nipples with his tongue. Their hands were everywhere, caressing, pinching and teasing until she was on the brink of release.

"Not just yet, love," Deacon whispered, his breath tickling her ear before he rolled away from her. She felt Hancock's hands on her hips as he flipped her over. She got to her knees and looked over to see Deacon standing next to the bed, his impressive hardness twitching with desire. Crawling slowly towards him she reached out, wrapping one delicate hand around the base of his cock.

Deacon watched as she stuck her tongue out and licked the pre-cum from the head of his penis, smiling up at him and he groaned at the touch. She licked and kissed the length of his shaft, teasing him by opening her mouth wide over his tip before pulling away with a wicked laugh. He tried to thrust forward, aching with the need to plunge into her, but she held him firmly, denying him with a smirk.

Hancock watched as Nora played with Deacon, all the while wiggling her ass for his benefit.

"I wanna see you suck that cock, Darlin'." Hancock's voice rasped from behind her. She was pretty sure that no one had a sexier voice than her ghoul. She leaned forward and did as she was told, wrapping her lips tightly around Deacon's erection and enjoying the sounds he made as she took as much of him into her mouth as she could without choking.

Hancock watched as Nora's head bobbed up and down, Deacon's hand balled in her hair, with smug satisfaction. He was a little too pleased that she had followed his command. He slipped two fingers into her warmth, moving them in and out in time with her movements before removing them and getting behind her. She pressed her round, shapely rear against him in obvious invitation as he ran his hands over her curves. He couldn't get enough of her impossibly soft skin, such a contrast to his. He used one hand to rub the head of his cock between her folds, sighing at her slick warmth. Unable to wait another moment, he forced himself into her velvety hollow, amazed at how snuggly she wrapped around him. He felt Nora brace herself as both he and Deacon fucked her, choked moans of pleasure trying to escape from her full mouth.

Deacon looked down at the beautiful woman before him. When she looked up at him, her eyes the color of the sun shining through amber, he thought his heart would burst. He dropped to his knees, finding her mouth with his. He kissed her swollen lips, his hands on either side of her face. She clutched at him as he breathed her in, feeling her rock with every thrust as Hancock entered her again and again.

"Does it feel good, love? Does his cock feel good inside you?"

"Yes," she gasped in response, finding it hard to concentrate. "It feels… so… good…" Hancock was only spurred on by her words, ramming her harder in response and Deacon could tell it wouldn't be long now.

"Look at me. I want to see you come." Deacon held her face in his hands, watching as she fought to hold his gaze. Her mouth fell open as she cried out, but she never looked away. He didn't think there was anything more beautiful than watching her come.

Her cries of release as she convulsed and tightened around his cock pushed him over the edge. He shoved himself into her until he bottomed out, a strangled cry escaping his lips to mingle with hers. He moved inside of her slowly, gasping through the aftershocks before pulling out.

Deacon took up Hancock's position, flipping Nora's limp body over and putting one of her legs on his shoulder before entering her in one swift motion. She gasped, arching her back and digging her nails into his hips. She was slick with the remains of her and Hancock's love and he slid in easily, filling her to the hilt. Her clit was swollen and as he brushed in with his thumb she cried out, every nerve alive and sensitive. He loved to see her like this, flushed and writhing below him. He smiled down at her as he moved in and out of her. Her eyes fluttered open he was rewarded with a surprisingly sweet smile in return.

"I love the way you feel inside me, baby." Her voice was soft and breathy as she arched in response to his movements.

Hancock watched as Deacon responded by leaning down, kissing her passionately as he continued to bury himself within her, thrusting faster and faster as Nora moaned and clawed at his back. He could tell the moment they came, Deacon's muscles going stiff before visibly shuddering as they both cried out. By this point Nora's cry was more of a whimper, heartbreakingly pathetic. As Deacon climbed off of her, Hancock grabbed his shirt and pressed it against her swollen, sensitive entrance. She gasped as he gently wiped her off, but made no move to stop him as she laid in a boneless puddle on the bed. Hancock chuckled under his breath, reaching up with his other hand to brush her hair out of her face. She caught his hand in hers and brought it to her mouth, kissing him softly. He ran his thumb over her lips, holding her face in his hand.

"I love you, Sunshine."

"Mmm… you, too." She mumbled, still almost incoherent. Deacon laughed shaking his head. He had gone to grab a can of water. He climbed in on Nora's other side and slipped an arm behind her, sitting her up. He Held the open can to her lips and only then did her eyes flutter open. She clumsily took the can and took several large gulps before passing it to Hancock who did the same.

"Now I need a nap," she said as she stretched lazily. "You two wore me out!"

"Just doing our job, love." Hancock replied, his raspy voice sounding light with mirth.

Deacon laid her down, pulling the covers up over her. He planted a kiss on her cheek before standing up.

"Why don't you stay here with her while I cook us some breakfast," he suggested to Hancock.

"I'm not gonna say no to a plan like that." Deacon smiled and went over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans and a threadbare t-shirt. He pulled them on headed out to the kitchen, smiling at the two forms cuddled up under the covers.

Hancock pulled Nora close, curving around her. She fit against him perfectly and the little sigh of contentment that rose from her lips filled his heart with warmth. He dozed off to the gentle sounds of her breathing, thinking that life just didn't get any better.

Deacon was worried about Nora. She hadn't been acting like herself and the only thing that had changed recently was their physical relationship. It had been just over a month since he had finally overcome his anxiety and he thought things had been going well. There had been a little period of adjustment as they figured out the new dynamics, but he had thought she was happy. He certainly was. He was afraid to bring it up, afraid to hear that she didn't want him anymore.

The door to their home slammed open and Hancock rushed in, a pale Nora clasped limply in his arms.

"What the hell happened?" Deacon cried as he moved out of the way so Hancock could lay his burden on the bed.

"She got dizzy, almost fell over and then vomited. A lot. Grab some of that RadAway and a can of water." Hancock was trying to get her out of her jacket when he called over his shoulder, "Grab the trash can, too, in case she gets sick again."

Deacon gathered up the requested items, adding a wash cloth to the list and hurried back to Hancock. He pushed the RadAway into Hancock's hands and then cracked open the can of water, pouring some onto the washcloth and gently dabbing her forehead and cheeks. She looked flushed, a slight sheen of sweat on her brow. Hancock had her hooked up to the RadAway and there was nothing to do now but wait. He looked over at Hancock and saw his own nervousness and fear reflected back.

Hancock was really starting to worry. If she was sick from radiation the RadAway would already be working. He got up and walked across the room, opening the drawer where Nora kept her Pip-Boy when they were at home. He picked up the computer and walked back over to his girl, slipping it onto her arm and closing the latches. He powered it up and once it was finished loading he took a deep breath and looked. All her vitals were fine and yet she was still lying in the bed moaning, looking like death.

"Would you guys sit the fuck down? You're making me nervous." Nora sat up, ripping the RadAway out of her arm. She held her hand out to Deacon and he just stared at her stupidly until she pointed to the water in his hand, giving him an annoyed look. He pushed the can into her hand and then he and Hancock each grabbed a chair and sat down next to the bed.

"We're making you nervous? You're the one that threw up and then passed out, doll." Hancock narrowed his eyes, obviously debating on whether or not to say something. "You're not going through withdraw or anything, right? I mean, I think we would know if you were that far down the rabbit hole, but…"

Nora laughed, but it was an ugly, unfamiliar sound.

"Drugs? Ha. That would be a less complicated problem."

"So you know what's wrong? Tell us, love." Deacon leaned forward, placing a hand on her leg and silently willing her to answer his question.

"I'm pregnant."

Her words were met with silence and dumbfounded stares. She leaned her head back, placed the cool washcloth on her forehead and closed her eyes, waiting for them to process.

Hancock's heart soared and then came crashing down in a matter of seconds. He knew the child wasn't his, but he didn't care about that. He would love to be a part of raising a child, but why would they want his help? He was a chem using ghoul with a penchant for rough language. What responsible parent would even let him around their child?

Deacon felt like he was in a fog. He couldn't wrap his mind around her words. Pregnant? How had that not occurred to them? He thought back over the last month, realizing that they hadn't been taking any precautions. Not a one. It had been so long since he had worried about getting anyone pregnant, a whole lifetime ago, while Nora was used to sleeping with Hancock who couldn't get her pregnant. It must not have even occurred to her. He was going to be a… father? Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Nora lifted the corner of the rag, peeking out at them.

"Crazy, right? I didn't think I could even get pregnant anymore. Nate and I had such a hard time conceiving Shaun and the doctor had said we likely wouldn't be able to have anymore…" she trailed off, looking between the two of them like she had done something wrong. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for! I am the one that should have been more careful! I don't know what I was thinking…"

"Why are the two of you acting like this is a disaster?" Hancock looked between the two of them in confusion. "We're going to have a baby. Well, I guess you two are… That's something to be celebrated."

"What does that mean? You're not ditching us because I'm knocked up, are you?" Nora had shot up, the rag falling forgotten into her lap. Apparently the sudden movement was a bad plan, because she went green and frantically reached for the trash can next to the bed. Hancock shoved it into her hands just in time.

When she was finished being sick and they had her propped back up on the pillows, she reached out for Hancock's hand.

"You're not really going to leave us, are you?"

"I didn't know if you'd want me around. It's not like I'm exactly the best influence…"

"I think you'd make a great father. Both of you will." Nora looked down at her still flat stomach, "That is, if you both want to be."

Deacon climbed into the bed carefully, taking her in his arms. She leaned into him, hiding her face in his chest.

"Neither of us are going anywhere. We're in this together." Deacon looked to Hancock over their girl's head, "I mean it, John. You're as much a part of this as I am."

Hancock didn't know what to say, but he did know that he had never been happier. Their girl was having a fucking baby. He wanted to run through the streets, shouting the news to everyone. He thought now that she knew they weren't going to freak out, Nora would be happier. She wasn't though. In fact she was sobbing into Deacon's chest with increasing despair.

"It's going to be okay, love. I know Hancock and I don't exactly know much about babies, but we'll learn. I promise we'll do a job."

His words didn't seem to make her feel any better, in fact she seemed to be crying even harder.

"It's not you I'm worried about," came her choked confession. "I murdered my first child because he was a fucking monster! I'm not fit to be a mother! It's like some kind of cruel joke."

Hancock climbed in on Nora's other side, he and Deacon holding on to her as she sobbed. Once she had mostly cried herself out Hancock turned her face towards his.

"Shaun's fate wasn't your fault, doll. You didn't raise him. The Institute did."

"The Institute didn't murder him! That was all me."

"They might as well have," Deacon interjected. "If they hadn't interfered, Shaun would have been raised by you and never would have become what he did."

"You don't know that." She tried to hide her head again, but Hancock wouldn't let her.

"You're the best person we know. You are going to be an amazing mother and we are going to be here to make sure no one ruins that for you this time." The sincerity in her ghoul's eyes made her want to believe him.

"I hope you're right. I really do, but somehow I feel like I'm the one that's the monster."


	8. Chapter 8

The first time Nora felt the baby move, she didn't tell anyone. She was just over three months pregnant, still sick and unable to do much of anything she had insisted on at least sitting outside in the sun. Deacon had reluctantly agreed and they had set her up with everything she could possibly need within easy reach of her seat under the old carport of her home in Sanctuary. It didn't take long for her friends to begin stopping by, some just for a word of encouragement and others for longer. Nick had come by to sit with her for the better part of an hour.

"How're you feeling, kid?" He had asked, dropping into the seat next to her and reaching into one of the inner pockets of his trench coat. He had started to pull out a pack of cigarettes, but had shoved them back into his pocket without taking one out. Nora smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Thanks, Nick. I had thought it would be hard to quit smoking since I had been doing way more of it than I ever did Pre-War, but vomiting every time I even smell a cigarette is great motivation to just say no."

"I would imagine so." The Detective had replied chuckling, shaking his head. They had sat in silence for a while, watching as the settlers farmed and worked on various projects across the street. Finally, Nick had looked over at her from under his battered old fedora.

"I know you're worried, but I can't think of a better protected child in all of the Wastes. Do you know how many people would take a bullet to protect that little bun of yours? Not that I think anyone else is even necessary with those two around." He reached out, covering her hand with his metal one as he jerked his head toward Hancock and Deacon who were helping Sturges with his latest project. "We're all here for you. Don't you doubt it for a second."

"Thanks, Nick. Sometimes I need to be reminded that I don't have to do everything on my own." She rubbed her eyes, annoyed that she cried over everything these days. Pregnancy hormones were going to ruin her carefully cultivated hard-ass image.

"Anytime, kiddo." He patted her hand affectionately before getting up to leave. He tipped his hat in farewell, reaching into his trench coat for his cigarettes as he ambled away.

Nora looked back across the street, watching as Hancock whispered something in Deacon's ear. It must have been funny, because Deacon threw his head back, laughing loudly before pounding Hancock on the back in easy comradery. The sight made her heart swell, tummy filled with butterflies. _Wait- those aren't butterflies._ Her hands flew to her stomach, which was already starting to round out, just a bit. Sure enough, the flutters inside of her increased in strength and she knew for sure. She smiled down at her tummy, feeling a connection with their child for the first time. She started to call the men over, but hesitated. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to share this moment with anyone. _They wouldn't be able to feel it anyway,_ she told herself as she leaned back in her chair smiling and watched as settlement life buzzed around her, alone except for the company of butterflies.

Sturges had managed to get running water into some of the houses, and hers was one of them. She couldn't have been happier, having been dying for a good soak. She turned the tap and watched in delight as the tub began to fill with hot water. She stripped off her clothes and gingerly climbed into the tub, her skin turning to gooseflesh at the first touch of the steamy water and sighing as she slipped beneath the surface. She was careful not to let the water get too hot, overheating wouldn't be good for the baby, but it still felt like heaven. She washed and rinsed quickly, throwing her sopping hair into a bun to keep it out of the way, then relaxed back into the water. She stayed there, refreshing the water as it cooled, until she was good and pruney.

There was a soft knock on the door, which opened before she could even respond. Hancock slid into the room, easing the door shut behind himself. He squatted down beside the tub, resting one of his hands on her arm with a smile.

"You have no idea how beautiful you look right now," he crooned, leaning forward to kiss her. She met him halfway, sighing into the kiss. One of his hands slipped around her neck, oblivious to the damp.

"You have perfect timing," she told him as they separated. "Would you mind helping me out?"

"Of course, Sunshine." He stood up, grabbing her towel and throwing it over his shoulder. He reached down taking her hand in one of his and pulling her up, his other hand on her hip to steady her as she stepped out. He wrapped the towel around her, chafing it against her shoulders and down her arms. He grabbed her comb from the side of the sink before leading her to their room. She shivered in the cold air as Hancock motioned for her to sit on the foot of the bed. She pulled her hair out of its bun as Hancock sat behind her and he began to pull the comb gently through her damp locks. She was impressed by his gentle touch as he teased the knots from her hair.

When Nora had told him how much she liked her hair brushed, he had made a mental note to do it for her sometime and he was glad he had. She was practically purring like a cat with every stroke. He was amused and aroused by the little sighs of pleasure emanating from her at his touch. He continued to comb her hair for several moments after all the knots were out, not wanting the moment to end.

Nora leaned back against him, feeling blissfully relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her, placing one warm hand over the swell of their child.

"Stand up, doll. I want to look at you." His voice was barely a whisper as it brushed passed her ear. She stood up, looked over her should coyly at him and dropped the towel.

Hancock's eyes roamed her body, taking stock of her changing contours. Her ass, thighs and hips were just a bit thicker than usual, making them even more tempting. She spun around slowly, revealing her lovely, swollen breasts and baby bump. She stared up at him through her eyelashes as he took her in, marveling at her maternal beauty. Just when he thought her body couldn't be any more perfect, it went and did this. Her breasts had grown, nipples darkening slightly, almost overnight and he longed to touch them, but he refrained, knowing sore they were. He scooted to the edge of the bed and held his arms out to her in invitation, smiling as she sauntered back to him, hips swaying deliciously.

"You are the most gorgeous woman in the world. You make me crazy with wanting you."

She fell into his arms and he ran his hands over her, finally coming to rest over her stomach.

"I know how you feel, love." He looked into her eyes, amazed as always to see the depth of her love for him. He had quit questioning it, but he knew he would never understand it.

"I still can't believe how lucky we are." He leaned down to plant a kiss on the swell of her tummy before pulling her close. He could feel the hardness of the baby between them, when out of nowhere it felt as though he had been jabbed. "What the- wait, was that the baby?" He pulled away from her, covering her stomach with his hands.

Nora laughed at Hancock's reaction as the baby continued to kick under his hands. The look of wonder on his face was priceless.

"It's so strong!" As he smiled up at her she watched his expression change to one of urgency, "I have to get Deacon!" And then he was up and running to the door, shouting his best friend's name hysterically.

Hancock's calls were answered quickly, Deacon tearing down the street at top speed.

"Is she okay?!" he called frantically as he neared the house.

"That baby is moving and you have to feel it. It's amazing."

Deacon slowed down as he ran through the open door. He found Nora smiling broadly from her seat on the bed and he sank to his knees in front of her naked body. As soon as he placed his shaking hands on her belly the baby pushed against them, startling a laugh from him.

"Oh, wow…" he whispered in awe, removing one of his hands so there was room for one of Hancock's. The baby kicked again and they both looked up at her, "I can't believe it."

Nora just smiled at their excitement, looking down at her family lovingly.

Nora had finally kicked most of her nausea, only to have it replaced by another common symptom of pregnancy. She was unbelievably horny. Constantly. Which shouldn't have been a problem, especially since she had not one, but two men available to meet her needs. Both of them seemed unreasonably nervous about her hurting her, which caused her no end of annoyance. While she had still been nauseous she hadn't even cared, not wanting to be jostled around anyway, but now? Now it was a serious problem and she was going to set them straight. Mama needed to get some and they were damn well going to give it to her.

Deacon arrived home first, kissing her on the cheek and caressing her growing baby bump before hopping into the shower. When he got out he wrapped his towel around his waist and headed back to their room to get dressed. He walked in to find Nora lying in the bed with her legs spread, one hand squeezing her breast while the other fondled the soft warmth between her legs. He felt his blood rush to his cock almost instantly. He had never seen her touch herself before, not even before they had gone to Hancock for help, and he found the sight unbelievably erotic. He realized his mouth was hanging slightly open right about the time that Nora looked over at him, moaning softly.

"Like what you see, baby?" She spoke in a low, breathy voice as she pinched one of her nipples for his benefit. His towel chose that moment to come loose, falling to the floor and revealing that he was most definitely enjoying the view. "I think I have my answer… Now be a good boy and come help me. It's so much better when you do it."

Deacon wanted more than anything to do as she asked, but he was so afraid of hurting the baby. He stood still a moment too long, watching a Nora sat up angrily.

"Do you not find me sexy anymore?" She glared at him, hurt in her eyes.

"Of course I do! Obviously I do, love." He took a few steps toward her, his cock twitching in desire.

"Then prove it. I need you, Deacon. I need to feel you inside of me." He couldn't take it. She always knew the right words to say to talk him in to anything. The next thing he knew, he was in the bed with her and she was climbing on top of him. She wasted no time in guiding his throbbing erection to her entrance, pressing down onto him with a sigh. She was practically dripping and even tighter than he remembered. One of his hands found her hips as she began to rock them urgently, while the other found her swollen clit. She arched her back, crying out in pleasure as she rode him.

Nora was overwhelmed by the sudden fullness after so long without and was already feeling close. Deacon's hand was only making matters worse, and she knew it wouldn't be long.

He could already feel her beginning to spasm around him and he thrust his hips upward, entering her even deeper. He felt her coming, but he kept thrusting holding her in place with both of his hands on her hips, until she called out his name and he joined her in release.

"That was quite a show, you two." Hancock was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and ruined eyebrow raised. "How'd she finally convince you it was safe?"

Nora climbed off Deacon, looking at the ghoul with a seriously naughty smile.

"I didn't exactly convince him…"

Deacon sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Well, she convinced part of me… if you think you caught a show, you should've seen the one she put on for me."

"Well, a girl's got needs dammit. Pregnancy makes me horny as hell and the two of you have been treating me like a porcelain flower! This isn't my first pregnancy, which both of you are well aware of. I am perfectly capable of judging what I can and cannot do and having sex is currently in the can do column. So Hancock, get your irradiated ass over here and fuck me. We're making up for lost time." Both men stared at her and then looked at each other.

"I don't guess we can say we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into, can we?" Hancock joked with a shrug as he threw his tricorn across the room and slid his coat of his shoulders. "You're going to have to tell me about this little show you put on later, though." He had reached the bed by this point and he pulled Nora into his arms, kissing her roughly. He wasn't going to leave any girl of his unsatisfied, much less the love of his life. She was right, they were going to make up for lost time. "You're about to be screaming my name, love."

It wasn't long before that particular prophecy came true.

Nora was about to start the third trimester of her pregnancy and was adorably round, at least that's what Deacon and Hancock kept telling her. Nora felt like a blimp. A very unattractive blimp. They had another appointment scheduled with Dr. Amari, only now the doctor was the proud new owner of a working ultrasound machine. Once Hancock had learned of the technology he had sent scouts to every medical facility in the Commonwealth with orders to find one. He was determined that Nora was going to have everything she could possibly need, which she would normally find sweet and endearing, but she was currently at her wit's end with both of their fussing. They didn't want her to do anything but sit with her feet up. It was obnoxious.

Hancock was beyond excited about the ultrasound machine. He couldn't wait to see their baby, but Nora didn't seem nearly as excited as he and Deacon ushered her down the streets of Goodneighbor towards the Memory Den. He knew she still had reservations, but her lack of excitement was starting to worry him.

Deacon was nervous, as was his nature, that they would find something wrong during the ultrasound. He wished he could have Hancock's level of confidence that everything would be fine, but he couldn't seem to muster it. They led Nora down into the basement of the Memory Den where Dr. Amari was waiting next to the machine. She had Nora sit down in the waiting lounger, reclined it all the way back and then poured some kind of gel all over the swell of her belly. He watched as the doctor moved the wand around on Nora's belly, small frown of concentration on her face as she watched the images on the screen of the machine.

Dr. Amari hit a few buttons on the machine and the room filled with the sound of a quickly beating heart.

"145 beats per minute, strong and healthy!"

Hancock knew, without a doubt, that it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He looked at Deacon and could tell that he felt the same. They each had a hold of one of Nora's hands and as they looked down at her they could see that she was crying. Hancock ran a hand through her loose locks, trying to comfort her. He couldn't tell if she was happy or sad since they both looked the same these days.

"And there's your baby. Do you want to know the sex?"

"No. I want it to be a surprise." Nora answered quickly.

The three of them peered at the monitor, enchanted by the view. The baby was moving, kicking its tiny legs restlessly while it sucked its thumb. Deacon had no idea that babies did that in the womb and it made everything suddenly real to him. There was a whole little person living in there. He knew it was commonplace, but it all seemed so magical. A baby. Their baby.

Nora knew the men were worried, but she couldn't even put her feelings into words. She wasn't sure how she could be so happy and so sad at the same time. She was over the moon that their baby was healthy. There was no way that she could not love the little thing, growing inside her like it was. It was a peculiar feeling having a person growing inside of you. It was unbelievably weird and somehow incredibly perfect all at once. She loved feeling all the little kicks and flips as the baby lived its life inside her womb, but she couldn't help but be terrified. There was just so much to be afraid of. She still had a third of her pregnancy to go through plus the horror of labor, and she knew how bad labor really was. This wasn't like the first time when she had talked herself into believing it would be okay. She knew it would be awful and painful, not to mention she wouldn't have a full hospital staff available if something went wrong. She loved Dr. Amari, but could she really handle a breech baby? Did she know how to do a cesarean if it was necessary?

On top of all that fear were her concerns about actually raising a child. She still had deep rooted worries about her ability to be a mother. The Commonwealth had made her harder, which had been necessary, but now she worried that it had made her too cold to be a good mom. Look what she had done… She tried to keep the tears at bay, but they fell silently without her permission. She saw the worry in their eyes and it only made the tears fall faster.


	9. Chapter 9

Nora moaned in pleasure, relaxing into their skilled hands. She could feel Hancock's strong fingers digging into the knot under her left shoulder blade while Deacon's applied gentle pressure to the arch of one foot. She was feeling peaceful for the first time in what seemed like ages as they slowly kneaded all the knots from her tense muscles. The throaty timbre of Hancock's chuckle reached her through the fog of her mindless relaxation, bringing a faint smile to her lips. She knew that voice could convince her of anything.

"Nora, love, while we have you here there is something that we want to talk to you about."

"Mmm?" She mumbled sleepily in question.

"Deacon and I know that you've been upset, doll, but we still don't really know the why of it. We've done everything we could think of to make sure you and the babe are safe… but you're still so distant. Is it us?" She could hear him hesitate before he continued, like he could barely get the last of it out. "Is it the baby? Are you not happy about it?"

Deacon was holding his breath, nervous as hell at her answer. He and Hancock had agreed that they couldn't keep ignoring her growing despondence. They had to get to the root of it and soon, before the baby arrived. He looked to Hancock, relieved like he always was in moments like these that he could see his own fears mirrored on the ghoul's face. Sometimes just knowing you weren't alone in your fears made all the difference.

Nora's eyes fluttered open as she tried to climb out of the sleepy haze their ministrations had left her in. She looked from one worried face to the other and sighed. She wish she had the energy to argue with them, but they had picked their moment, hell those sneaky bastards had planned their moment, too well and she didn't have any fight or denial left.

"Don't be ridiculous. I love all three of you more than life itself. I'm the fucking problem. I'm no kind of mother, I don't deserve a second chance. I'm just glad the kid has the two of you to make up for my sorry ass." Her voice was monotonous as she shrugged her shoulders in defeat, avoiding their eyes. Hancock pulled her against him, hugging her fiercely.

"You knock that shit off right now." His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, low and harsh. She straightened up in shock only to find herself face to face with Deacon.

"You aren't responsible for how Shaun turned out. The Institute stomped as much of you and Nate out of him as they possibly could. The man ordered kidnappings so they would have test subjects for awful experiments. He treated the people of the Commonwealth and his synths like tools at best, things to use to get what he wanted. Most of the time they were little more than trash to him, though." Deacon didn't know when it had happened, but his hands were on either side of her face, squeezing. His nose was mere inches from hers as he stared into her wide eyes. He wished he could force the truth into her, shove it down her throat and hold her mouth shut until she swallowed, but she had always been relentlessly and infuriatingly stubborn. He released her, taking a step back and rubbing his hand over his freshly shaved head in an attempt to calm down.

The harshness in their tones had brought Nora fully awake again. She didn't get why they were so bent out of shape. How could they not get it?

"You guys will understand soon enough…" she rubbed her belly, feeling its inhabitant squirming restlessly inside. The child never liked it when they argued. It would punch and kick, refusing to settle while there were raised voices. The baby's behavior always made her worry that it would be this fragile, sensitive little thing that would be stamped out in the harshness of the Wastes. She worried that she wouldn't be enough to protect it. She laid both of her hands on her belly in a futile attempt to shelter it. "Once this little one is here you'll understand why, because you will feel just as responsible for this one. I don't know why you're both so upset."

"You don't know why?" Deacon threw his hands up in the air, whirling to face her. "Because I don't like anyone talking shit about the woman I love, even if the words fall from her very lips."

"You're the bravest, strongest woman we know. No one else had been able to unify the people of the Commonwealth, but you did it and then continued to protect them all as if they were your own. If anyone is your child, it's the fucking Commonwealth and let me tell ya, sister, you've been one hell of a lioness in protecting her." Hancock's coal black eyes seemed to bore into her, through her and she was surprised to see the truth in his words. He must have sensed her wavering, because he pushed his advantage. "Nate wouldn't want you blaming yourself and beating yourself up to the point where you miss out on a second child. This child deserves you at your best. If you can't let what happened go for us or yourself, then do it for this little one. Do it so at least one of your children can have the mother it deserves." He said as he placed one scar laced hand on the swell of her stomach.

"Fuck," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "All right. Yeah, you guys are right."

They stared at her in stunned silence until the baby shifted violently, making her stomach move in ways that neither of them had seen before. The outline of the baby's shoulder and arm was plain as day for a moment, only to be replaced with a foot. Nora braced herself, eyebrows drawn together in discomfort as she focused on taking slow, steady breaths as the men stared, mouths agape. The baby was making her stomach move like the ocean in the middle of a very violent storm.

"Holy shit, babe!" Hancock exclaimed at the same time that Deacon asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, taking a deep breath as the baby finally settled itself. "The baby just really doesn't like it when we argue."

"Is that normal?" Deacon's voice was small, caught somewhere between worried and wonder.

"Yeah, it's totally fine. They can get a little rambunctious from time to time. It's not exactly the most comfortable thing, but it's totally normal."

The men got her propped up on pillows in the middle of the bed and climbed in on either side of her.

"I'm still really scared," she admitted, not meeting their eyes, "but I am going to be better. I promise. For the baby… and for the two of you. I love you both so much. I'm so sorry."

"No need for apologies, doll."

"We love you, too." Deacon clasped her hand tightly in his. He didn't know how Hancock's tongue always seemed to find the right words, he was just glad that it did. They held her, stroking her hair and whispering sweet nonsense until she fell asleep.

"Hancock's silver tongue strikes again," Deacon whispered to his friend, crooked smile firmly in place. Hancock sighed, shaking his head.

"You know, I wish I could take credit for them, but most of those words didn't even feel like mine."

He and Deacon stared at each other in silence for a moment before laying back into their pillows, wondering.

Now that they had gotten Nora out of her funk, Hancock had given Daisy the go ahead on throwing her something called a "baby shower." He wasn't exactly sure why it was called a shower, but Daisy assured them that she knew exactly what she was doing. It wasn't until she started saying things like "no alcohol" and "women only" that he decided he had to make some updates to the old Pre-War custom. He was determined to throw his girl the best damn baby shower the Commonwealth had ever seen and he wasn't afraid to break the rules to do it.

Deacon was perfectly happy to leave the party planning to Hancock and Daisy. He was more suited to behind the scenes work anyway. He was also tasked with keeping Nora distracted and unaware of the planning going on around her. Nora was better than most at detecting subterfuge and Deacon was excited to see if he was up to the task of deceiving her.

The morning of the party dawned and Deacon was feeling pretty confident that Nora still knew nothing about it. Hancock had left the State House early to take care of the final preparations, telling Nora that he had to help Charlie with inventory down at the Third Rail and asking if she would mind stopping by around noon to eat lunch with him. Nora had agreed sleepily, kissing him on the cheek before settling back into Deacon's arms and quickly falling asleep. He hadn't known how exhausting pregnancy was for woman, but now he did since the woman who used to operate on no sleep was suddenly unable to function without regular and frequent naps. He ran his fingers through her golden hair, really thinking about all the sacrifices and changes she had made over the past few months for the safety of their child. He had never really thought about how much women go through to bring new life into the world, especially a world like this. Nora rarely complained even though he knew she missed the life she had been living before and he was impressed beyond words. She had never been more beautiful or strong and he knew without a doubt that if the table were turned he wouldn't be handling things nearly as well as she.

Nora began to stir in his arms and he pulled her closer to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Good morning, handsome." Her voice nothing but a husky whisper, still thick with sleep.

"Good morning, beautiful. What do you feel like doing? Are you hungry?"

"Yes," she looked up at him and he could see from the slow curve of her smile that she wasn't talking about food. "So come over here and give me what I need."

Deacon did as he was told, easily keeping her occupied until it was time to head to the Third Rail.

Nora didn't think her day could get any better. Sleeping late and then fooling around in bed all morning had left her feeling extremely satisfied. She felt how she imagined a cat felt while lounging in a patch of sun, warm and relaxed. Now they were on their way to meet Hancock and she was hoping she convince him to take a break from all the work he had been doing lately to spend some time with her and Deacon. She hadn't gotten nearly enough time with the two of them together as of late. Deacon held the door to the Third Rail open and she headed inside, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. Ham was standing in his usual place, looking dapper as always, but instead of his usual mask of indifference he was sporting a small smile. Nora didn't think she had ever seen him smile. In fact, she and MacCready had spent one particularly drunken evening trying to provoke him into one to no avail. Nora returned the smile, feeling a little bewildered, as she walked passed and headed down the stairs.

Nora saw Hancock waiting at the bottom of the stairs, but as she got closer to him she started noticing things that seemed out of place. Why were there dirty pink and blue streamers everywhere? That's when she realized just how full of people the Third Rail was. As she reached Hancock, whose grin stretched from ear to ear, she looked between the two of them in shock.

"Surprise, Sunshine. Welcome to your baby shower."

The smile on Nora's face was worth all the work he had put into this day. She threw herself into his arms and he held her close, feeling the baby squirming between them. She pulled away so the she could look at both of them, shaking her head in amusement.

"I can't believe you sneaky bastards pulled this off! I must be going soft… I didn't even realize anything was afoot."

"That was kind of my whole job, so mission accomplished I guess," Deacon joked. She wished he wasn't wearing his sunglasses, because she loved the sparkle in his pale eyes when he was happy.

Hancock put a hand to the small of her back and guided her further in to the Third Rail. All her friends were there, lounging on bar stools, calling and waving as she came close. Nora tried to keep from tearing up, but in her hormonal state she should have known that wouldn't be possible. She sniffed loudly, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand.

"Come now, lassie. There's no need for water works!" Cait teased, patting her roughly on the back.

Nora looked around at all the familiar faces, all the people that she was lucky enough to find in her corner, and she was overwhelmed by how lucky she was. Her eyes landed on her men, Hancock had an arm wrapped around Deacon's waist while Deacon's arm was around the ghoul's shoulders. Her heart was fit to burst seeing them standing there, love shining in both of their eyes as they looked at her.

"Thank you," she mouthed at them. They just beamed at her.

"Okay, dear. Let me show you to the seat of honor." Daisy said, pulling Nora's arm through her own and leading her to a plush, red chair that they had placed on a slightly raised platform. Daisy even pulled out a little stool for Nora to prop her feet on and MacCready popped up at her side with a can of purified water that he delivered with a cocky little wink.

"Alright, now that the guest of honor is here," Hancock indicated Nora with a flourish, "I just wanna thank you all for coming to celebrate with us. We know the difficulty it took for ya to get here and it means a lot to us that you took the trouble. We also know how, uh… how unique our situation is and the support you've all shown has been staggering." Hancock paused to look around the room, seemingly catching the eyes of everyone in attendance. "Not even during my wildest Jet trips did I think I would find even one person to throw my lot in with, much less two. Now I know all that karma stuff is bull, because no one like me deserves to be this fucking happy." Hancock grabbed both sides of Deacon's face and kissed him soundly, much to the delight of the crowd who whooped and hollered. One person even whistled shrilly. Hancock pulled back, both men laughing and then descended upon Nora, each kissing a cheek. "Thank you for picking us and for giving us the most precious gift we could ever hope for." Hancock turned back to the crowd, "Now, my disreputable friends, let's celebrate!"

Nora was having a fantastic time. The party was the perfect mix of Pre-War customs and Goodneighbor high jinx and it put every baby shower she had ever been a part of to shame. The men were chugging warm beer out of baby bottles while the women tried to guess the circumference of Nora's bump by cutting lengths of cotton yarn. The gift bags were filled with drugs of all kinds, cigarettes and food instead of frilly Pre-War lotions, but it made the contestants in the various games more invested in winning which Nora found highly entertaining. She watched as the men competed blindfolded to see who could correctly diaper Jangles the Moon Monkey the fastest. Nora laughed so hard that she thought she was going to send herself into early labor.

Only four men could compete at a time because they only had four Jangles and this round was comprised of MacCready, Preston, Nick and the Vault-Tec Representative from so many years ago. MacCready was talking shit, as usual, and Preston was giving it right back, which was unusual and hilarious. When they were told to start the Vault-Tec Rep immediately knocked his monkey and the diaper into the floor and then hit his head trying to retrieve it. MacCready was heckling Preston, something along the lines of him being used to diapering Mama Murphy, not something the size of a baby. Apparently RJ's nonsense had him sufficiently flustered, because Preston ended up trying to put the diaper around a leg and an arm rather unsuccessfully. MacCready thought he had the win in the bag, but Nick managed to beat him by a couple of seconds. The look on RJ's face was priceless.

"Sorry, kid. What can I say, I'm a man of many talents. Well, sort of." He winked at the shocked mercenary before tipping his fedora and strolling off to smoke outside.

She wasn't sure whose idea it had been, but people were taking bets on when she would go into labor and what the sex would be. Cait was operating as the bookie, writing down wagers and taking caps. Nora couldn't believe the amount of caps the winners were going to receive, because everyone seemed to want a piece of the action.

After a while Hancock and Deacon appeared by her side and asked her if she was ready to open presents. She hadn't even thought about presents, even though that was the whole point of a shower, feeling like everyone just showing up was more than present enough. They helped her out of her chair and led her to the back room, the guests following along. There was another chair set up for her next to a table that was overflowing with gifts. There was also something in the corner that had a sheet draped over it.

"First things first," Hancock said, pushing Deacon toward the corner. Deacon looked a little uneasy being the center of attention as himself, no disguises, but he didn't argue.

"I made this for the baby," he said quietly as he looked to Nora. He pulled back the sheet to reveal an intricately carved wooden cradle.

Nora gasped, kneeling in front of it and running her hands over it reverently. It was gorgeous. She ran her finger over the flower and vine pattern that ran around it, impressed by its precision. She felt more tears sting her eyes, but she didn't even care this time.

"Do you like it?"

Nora shook her head, "No. I love it." She reached for him and he knelt beside her so she could wrap her arms around him. "You really made this?"

He nodded in response, smiling. "It's prefect, love. Thank you so much."

"You're more than welcome," he whispered, kissing the top of her head before standing up and then reaching down to assist her. Nora was in shock over the gift. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever given her.

Nora opened the rest of the gifts, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of them. Her friends had spoiled their child with everything it could possibly need. Daisy had been hunting down diaper supplies for months, presenting Nora with all the diapers and wipes she could possibly need. Nora was nervous about using cloth diapers since she hadn't with Shaun, but there really was no other way. Piper had given her a pair of knitted booties that had belonged to her sister Nat, making Nora cry all over again, hugging the reporter tightly.

The party eventually wound down and Nora thanked everyone for coming. She had managed to speak to almost everyone individually, even if it was only for a moment. She hoped they all knew how special they were to her. She was exhausted and was more than happy to be escorted back to the State House by her men. Once they were outside she tried to thank them again, but Hancock stopped her.

"The look on your face all afternoon was thanks enough, Sunshine."


	10. Chapter 10

Why wasn't it time yet? Nora had to be passed forty weeks by this point and she was starting to freak out. She hadn't gone into labor on her own with Shaun. They had induced her at almost a week passed her due date and she was terrified that she wouldn't go into labor on her own. It wasn't like she could go to the hospital and get hooked up to an IV of Pitocin, so she was walking all over Goodneighbor trying to persuade their stubborn offspring to leave her womb, to no avail. She felt huge and miserable and she was tired of everyone touching her belly. She knew people were just being nice, but she was too uncomfortable to give a shit.

Deacon and Hancock watched as Nora sped passed them again, determined to walk the baby. Hancock shook his head as she rounded the State House and out of sight.

"I don't know if that's going to work."

"Yeah, I wish Dr. Amari had more experience with this. I don't know who else we could even ask." Deacon said regretfully.

"I think you two lug heads are forgetting something," Daisy chuckled throatily before throwing an arm around Hancock's shoulders.

"Oh, yeah? And what's that?" Hancock asked, raising one ruined eyebrow at her.

"That a certain Pre-War ghoul might have some suggestions." Her smile was haughty as she looked at their surprised faces.

"Don't toy with us woman! If you have a solution, then let's fucking hear it."

"I'm with Hancock. I don't know how much more of this she can take." _Or how much more we can take_ , he added to himself. Nora had been increasingly difficult to be around. Nothing made her happy and it was hard on everyone.

"You know the old phrase 'hair of the dog'? Well, sugar, it can be applied to more than just hangovers… If you catch my drift." Daisy could tell by their expressions that they did, so she patted them both on the back and headed back toward her shop, laughing all the way.

The men looked at each other and then at Nora as she came bustling around the corner, scowling. Hancock shrugged at Deacon before calling out to their girl.

"Hey, doll. Let's head into the State House. We've got a proposition for you."

Deacon just chuckled under his breath as he followed along.

"Daisy said what?!" Nora looked between them suspiciously before a look of remembrance dawned on her face. "Wait, I think I have heard that. I was on bed rest for most of my third trimester last time, so sex wasn't even an option, but…" she looked at them appraisingly, "I don't know. I want this baby out, but I am so not feeling sexy."

"You're gorgeous, love. Always." Deacon's hand brushed her jawline softly as he met her eyes over his glasses.

"Being 'gorgeous' and feeling sexy just aren't the same thing." She exhaled, looking between the two of them. It had been weeks since they had been intimate, which wasn't at all normal for them, but she had just been feeling so grouchy. Maybe she really did just need a good fucking… she was going to have some fun with them first though. "I don't know guys, maybe there's something you could do to get me in the mood."

"Whatcha got in mind, Sunshine?"

Nora walked over to the chair in the corner of the room and sat down, looking pointedly from the two of them to the bed, eyebrow arched.

"You two are always talking about how exciting it is to watch… but I've never gotten the opportunity."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Deacon looked from Nora to Hancock, to find that Hancock was already looking him up and down with one of his patented smirks.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to…" Nora was speaking to Deacon, because she knew Hancock would be down.

Deacon wasn't sure what to do. On the one hand, he was nervous, but on the on the other he was surprisingly curious. The few times that Hancock had kissed him had been, well, exhilarating. Plus, he had watched the ghoul with Nora enough to know that he was good at what he did… Why the hell not? They were already in this together, after all.

Hancock wished Deacon wasn't wearing those damn sunglasses so he could get a read on what the man was thinking. Then, suddenly, Hancock didn't need to worry about the sunglasses and what they were hiding, because Deacon was on him, kissing him roughly. Hancock couldn't have been more surprised, but he recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. They could hear Nora's inhale of surprise from her chair and it only spurred them on. Hancock pulled back, removing Deacon's sunglasses and pulling his t-shirt off over his head. Deacon replied by knocking his tricorn hat off his head and forcing his coat off his shoulders. Hancock let the coat fall to the ground and pulled his shirt off before he grabbed Deacon by the back of the neck and pulled him into a crushing kiss.

Deacon ran his hands up Hancock's sides, enjoying the rough texture. He nipped at Hancock's bottom lip, enjoying the moan that escaped from his mouth as his teeth bit down gently. Hancock tore his mouth away, using a hand to turn Deacon's head and exposing his neck. Deacon gasped as he felt teeth in the tender flesh just under his jaw and one of his hands found its way to the back of Hancock's head, encouraging him.

This was going better than Nora had hoped and damn were they right, watching was hot as hell. It was a unique experience to get to watch their reactions without the distraction of being touched herself. She was only now realizing how much you missed while distracted by your own desires. She was transfixed by every sigh, every look. They were beautiful and they were hers. Damn was she lucky.

Hancock pushed Deacon into the wall and then dropped to his knees in front of him, looking up as he undid the buckle before him. He looked over at Nora and was pleased to see that she was practically salivating as he unbuttoned Deacon's pants and slowly pulled down the zipper. As he tugged the jeans down, revealing Deacon's erection, he looked up to make sure he was still on board. The way he was biting his lip in anticipation alleviated any worries Hancock had, since he had seen Deacon look at Nora that way hundreds of times. Hancock took the base of Deacon's cock in his hand and looked over at Nora, mouth almost touching the sensitive head as he spoke.

"This doing it for you, love?"

She nodded in response, obviously eager to watch more.

"Then tell me what to do next. Do you want me to put his cock in my mouth? Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes please."

"Then say it," Deacon's voice commanded, sounding a trifle breathier than normal.

"Put his dick in your mouth, Hancock."

And he did. Deacon moaned, trying to hold still. Hancock found Deacon's hands and held them against the wall while he bobbed his head up and down.

Nora didn't think she had ever seen anything hotter than what was happening in front of her right now. Deacon's desperate grunts as his cock disappeared into Hancock's skilled mouth were sending waves of desire through her.

Hancock released Deacon's hands so he could grab his friend's penis, stroking the base of it while his tongue made circles around the tip. His other hand slid between Deacon's thighs and massaged the area behind his balls, and he was rewarded by a gasp. His hand explored further, one finger massaging the tight entrance as Deacon grabbed his shoulders.

"I'm- I'm gonna- come!"

Hancock forced a single finger into Deacon's ass and he thrust forward, coming hard into the back of Hancock's throat with a growl. Deacon shuddered as Hancock drew back and slid down the wall. He took a few deep breaths and then reached forward and pulled the ghoul in for a kiss.

"That was incredible." Deacon gasped as he leaned his forehead against Hancock's, one arm draped around his neck.

"I'll say!" Nora called from her seat. She stood up with only a little difficulty and pulled her pants down, leaning over the bed. "Now get over here for your turn!"

Hancock kissed Deacon sweetly on the cheek before popping up to get behind Nora and pulling down his pants, running his hands over the smooth skin of her ass and hips.

"So you liked our little show?" He asked as he grabbed his cock and rubbed the head of it between her lips, finding the answer to his question in how wet she was. "Damn you're wet, love. You must've really liked what you saw."

"It was probably the hottest thing I've ever seen and now you need to fuck me good."

"No problem at all, doll." He replied, sliding in to her with a satisfied moan.

Nora knew it wouldn't take much to make her come with how long it had been and how turned on she was and she was right. He had a hold of her hips and every thrust brought her closer to completion. She felt Deacon's soft fingers find her clit, rubbing in time with Hancock's pace and it was too much. She cried out as she came, but they didn't relent until she wasn't even sure her arms could support her anymore. She heard Hancock's hitched breath as he pulled out and felt his warm seed on the curve of her ass.

Nora rested her head on the edge of the bed while gentle hands cleaned her up. She felt Deacon's hands urging her to stand up, so she did and he pulled her shirt off and then helped her get into bed. They tucked her in with kisses, promising to wake her up for dinner. She sighed into her pillow, smiling. They really were the best.

Much later that night, after another round of trying to convince the baby to come out, Nora woke up drenched in sweat and contracting painfully. She knew without a doubt that the baby was finally on its way. Nora was excited and filled with terror all at once. This was it. Their lives were about to change forever, not to mention the ungodly amount of pain she was about to endure. She took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves, and started waking the men. Their reactions were so opposite and both so adorable.

Hancock practically flew from the bed, running to the door with a huge grin on his face to go wake Dr. Amari, before running back to the bed to place a kiss on her forehead. Deacon looked immediately worried as he pushed her hair out of her face and asked if she needed anything.

"Just hold my hand, love."

He placed his hand in hers, reminding her to breath as the next contraction wracked her body. She clung to his hand until it passed and then they took the moment in between to get her arranged more comfortably. Deacon got in behind her and she laid her head against his chest, trying to mentally prepare for the hours to come as he stroked her hair and whispered encouragements in her ear.

When Hancock returned with Dr. Amari, Nora was already in some serious pain, contractions coming every four minutes. Hancock rushed to her side, reaching for her hand.

"How are you feeling, Sunshine?"

"Oh, great. Time of my life." She rolled her eyes and then another contraction hit her and she collapsed into Deacon, breathing slowly with her eyes closed. When the contraction eased, Dr. Amari stepped forward pulling on a rubber glove that Nora had no idea how she had found.

"I'm going to check you, if that's okay, to see how far along you are."

"Yeah, sure."

Dr. Amari walked around the side of the bed, sitting on it as Nora kicked the blanket down. Nora leaned against Deacon as the doctor checked her cervix, squeezing his arm and breathing through the discomfort.

"You are well on your way! You're a solid five and about seventy percent effaced."

The next several minutes were taken up in preparing the room for the delivery. There wasn't a great place to give birth in all of the Commonwealth, so Nora had insisted on having the baby in their room at the State House. The bed was covered in layers of blankets, towels and sheets to protect it and Nora was perched atop them, scared out of her mind as the contractions increased and Dr. Amari set up the few tools she would need during the delivery. The men held her hands, giving her sips of water as needed and doing everything they could to distract her from the pain. Hancock pulled her Pip-Boy out of its drawer and turned on Diamond City Radio to help distract her, but her contractions were getting intense and she mostly laid there with her face pressed into a pillow or into one of their chests.

The sun was just beginning to rise when her water broke and the contractions kicked into high gear. Neither Deacon nor Hancock had seen a woman give birth so they were terrified, but they were determined not to leave her side. Deacon felt especially shitty, convincing himself that the pain she was in was all his fault, but both men were feeling useless and worried. Watching the woman they loved in so much pain was agonizing and either of them would have gladly changed places with her. At one point Hancock asked her if she would consider taking some Med-X, but she refused on the grounds that it could hurt the baby. He had known what her answer would be, but he had to at least offer. They took turns helping her walk, supporting her through the contractions, because moving helped to ease some of the pain.

Nora hated this part, the awful part where there was nothing she could actively do, she was completely at the mercy of her body. Being in labor was the most trapped she had ever felt. It wasn't like she could change her mind and nothing could get her out of her current situation, nothing but having the child and it was terrifying. She liked to be in control and this situation was almost completely out of her control. She was exhausted and thankful for every reminder to breath that the boys gave her, because the pain was overwhelming and she was starting to panic. And then all of a sudden it was time. She felt the urge to push so strongly that she could barely speak.

"It's time," she managed to squeak out, sending the men into a panic. Hancock ran to get Dr. Amari and by the time she stepped into the room Nora was on all fours, pushing through a contraction while Deacon rubbed her back, cheering her on. The doctor quickly pulled on her gloves and then came closer to check her progress.

"Wow, okay Nora, the baby is almost here. You're doing great. Just give me a couple of strong pushes and your baby will be here in no time."

Nora was practically screaming with every push as she put everything she had into it. She tried to push all her fears from her mind and just focus.

"I can see the baby's head!" Dr. Amari called to her in encouragement, both men peering around her to see.

"Baby's just as bald as we are, babe!" She heard Hancock call in excitement. She could feel her skin burning as it stretched, thinking that "the ring of fire" sure was an appropriate name, but she clenched her teeth together and gave the next push all she had, screaming as she did. The pain was almost blinding as the baby's shoulders made their exit, but the relief was almost immediate.

"Wow, I feel so much better." She couldn't believe how much better she felt and then she heard the baby cry and her heart soared.

"It's a girl!"

Deacon and Hancock helped flip her over and as soon as she was laid back she reached her hands out for the child. Dr. Amari laid the baby on her chest, covering them both with a blanket. Nora looked down into the sweet little face of their child and tears started trickling down her face. She looked up to see the men holding on to each other, eyes filled with tears as they looked down at their ladies.

"A girl… We have a baby girl." Hancock sounded like he was in shock.

"Would either of you like to cut the cord?" Dr. Amari looked between the two men and Hancock pushed Deacon forward.

Nora wasn't even paying attention to what was going on around her, she was too busy falling in love. She took in every tiny detail, the dark blue eyes and then chin dimple that she had clearly acquired from her father. She knew it was important to get the baby nursing as soon as possible, so she offered her breast to the baby and the little one latched on like a pro. While Nora was busy with the baby, the doctor delivered the placenta and applied a Stimpak to the small tear she had sustained. Deacon and Hancock were sitting, one on either side, watching as the baby nursed ravenously.

"She's perfect," Deacon whispered, in awe. He kissed Nora's forehead, tears still slipping from his eyes, "Thank you."

Hancock reached a hand out, running one scarred finger down the length of the baby's arm. She was so pink and soft, perfect in every way. When the baby unlatched, opening its eyes sleepily, Nora finally looked up.

"Who wants to hold her?"

"Let John hold her," Deacon answered immediately, smiling. Hancock started to protest, but Nora leaned toward him, slipping the baby into his waiting arms.

As Hancock gazed lovingly at the bundle in his arms, she opened her eyes. Hancock had a moment of heart-stopping panic, fearing that his ugly mug would scare the poor dear, but she just looked at him, blinking solemnly. He knew in that moment that they were going to get along just fine. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before passing her to Deacon.

Deacon looked down at the tiny bundle in his arms, fresh tears stinging his eyes. He couldn't believe she was finally here, in his arms. For so many years he had written off having this kind of happiness thinking that it was what Barbara would have wanted, but he had been so wrong. She would have wanted this for him. He kissed the baby's little forehead and stuck one of his fingers into her hand, which immediately curled around it. Her entire hand barely took up one of the joints of his finger and he was filled with terror at how fragile she was. Nora leaned over, dreamy smile on her face as she looked at their creation.

"Look at her eyebrows, she's going to have your natural hair color, babe."

"Actually, I think she's going to be more of a strawberry blonde, the perfect combination of yours and mine."

"You know, I think you're right."

Hancock had taken the baby to meet Fahrenheit, excited to show her off, while Deacon and Nora stripped all the soiled linens off the bed and got her cleaned up. Nora slipped on one of Deacon's flannel shirts and pulled on some underwear she had lined with cotton strips.

"What are we going to name her?" Nora asked as she settled in to the freshly made bed.

Deacon had actually given this subject a lot of thought and had the perfect name in mind.

"Joan, you know, for John."

"Oh, honey… I love it. I absolutely love it. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. None of this would have been possible without him."

"Okay then. It's decided." Nora patted the bed and he climbed in next to her, pulling her into his arms. "She really is perfect, isn't she?"

"Of course she is, you made her." Nora playfully smacked his arm and he just held her tighter. "I'm in awe. That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. You were so strong and determined… damn you're beautiful."

They heard the door open and Hancock walked back in, cooing at the bundle in his arms. He was already completely smitten.

"Have you two come up with any names for this little darling yet? Cause I had a couple in mind."

"We've actually picked one out already. What do you think about Joan?" Nora couldn't keep the smile off her face as she said it and Hancock looked like her words had knocked the air out of him. They waited patiently for him to find his voice again and when he did it was low and choked sounding.

"For me? You want to name her after me?" He looked from them to the baby, "Hey there little Joan. What do you think? Do you like it?"

Hancock walked over to the bed and carefully deposited Joan into Nora's arms, sitting down beside her.

"I take it you like the name Deacon came up with? I sure do."

"I fucking love it."

"And we fucking love you." Nora said with a chuckle as the baby began rooting around her chest. Nora unbuttoned the flannel she had thrown on and lifted the baby to her breast, gasping a little at how hard the baby latched on.

"As I said to Nora, none of this would have been possible without you. You changed my life, man." Deacon said quietly, watching as the baby nursed eagerly.

"You guys are gonna make this old ghoul cry. And in all fairness, you two have changed my life just as much."

They all fell silent, watching as the newest member nursed herself to sleep.

"Joan, you get your butt in here right now!" Nora called from the back of the house.

"Uh oh, kid. What did ya do this time?" Hancock asked with a chuckle. Joan turned to him, sheepish look on her pretty face, reddish hair falling in front of her pale blue eyes.

"I might have found a kitten… and I might have been hiding it in my closet."

"Another one?!" Hancock laughed, "That's the third one this month. You're even worse than your mother is about picking up strays."

"You'd think she would understand then…" Joan replied snarkily.

"Hey now, her strays don't usually piss all over the closet floor, now do they?" Hancock asked as he raised what passed for his eyebrow.

"No, Dad, not usually…" she answered contritely.

"Joan!" Nora yelled again.

"You better get back there, love. You know she hates to be kept waiting."

He watched as Joan trudged back to her room, shoulders slumped. He looked up as the door opened and Deacon walked in.

"I can hear Nora yelling from down the street. What did our girl do this time?" He asked with a laugh, plopping down on the sofa next to Hancock.

"What do you think? Another stray cat hidden in her closet." As he spoke, the last cat Joan had illicitly adopted jumped into Hancock's lap, nudging his hand. Hancock absently stroked the creature's head and he was immediately rewarded with a loud purr.

"Nora made her promise that this guy would be the last one. We're never gonna get the smell of cat out of that child's closet." Deacon said with a sigh.

"You know that as much as she may look like you, she is so much her mother's daughter. Remember when Nora showed up with Strong? I would take a few kitties over that brute any day!"

Deacon shook his head, laughing. He agreed completely. They both turned as the door to Joan's bedroom opened and the two ladies walked out into the living room, Joan clutching a mewling kitten in her arms.

"What's the verdict, then?" Deacon asked, holding his arms out for Joan. She climbed into his lap, tucking her head under his chin.

"Mom said I can keep it until I find a good home for it." The little girl answered softly. "And that I can't keep sneaking animals in without talking to one of you, because it's as good as lying."

"What else?" Nora prompted trying to sound stern, but she understood her daughter's need to protect others all too well. She had adopted the whole damn Commonwealth, so she was having a hard time judging. If only Joan had come to her instead of trying to hide it.

"I also have extra chores for a week."

"That's not too bad. Just quit hiding things from us, love. We don't expect perfection, but we do expect honesty." Hancock told her, reaching over to place his hand on her head.

"Now why don't you go introduce the new guy to all your other rescues and make sure they have enough food set out." Deacon suggested, placing her on the floor.

"Okay!" she called over her shoulder as she ran out of the room.

Nora sighed and squeezed in between them on the sofa.

"Don't worry, Sunshine. If the worst thing the kid does is fill this house with cats, then I think we're doing alright."

Nora sighed, laying her head on his shoulder while Deacon held her hand, stroking it with his thumb.

"Honestly, I'm a little proud of her. I love that she wants to save everyone."

"Sounds like someone else we know…" Deacon said, crooked smile on his face as he looked over at her.

"That's fine talk from the guy that risked his life to save escaped synths." Nora replied, arching an eyebrow in his direction. Hancock chuckled and she sat up to look at him. "What are you laughing at, Mayor? You overthrew Vic and adopted the whole town of Goodneighbor. You act like she gets it solely from me, when you two are just as bad."

"You might be on to something there." Hancock acquiesced as she leaned back into him.

They sat there in silence, listening to the sounds of Joan and her glaring of cats. Nora sighed happily. Minus a few extra cats, she couldn't be happier with her little family. They were everything she had thought she would never have again, plus some. She didn't think life could get any better.


End file.
